A sports team did NOT create the Universe, give me life, or Save me, if it did, I might feel the same way about a Sports team as I do God.
Circular argument :- See Argument, circular
Argument, circular :- See Circular argument
Yeru, the point is that Mother Theresa did not believe in God at the end of her life. Her letters, published after her death, makes that quite clear. She had for a long time felt that God never answered her prayers. So, contrary to your assertions, she could do good things (and a few bad things) without believing in God.
- Jan -- - "How do you write women so well?" - "I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability." (Jack Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets")
I don't have any problem to agreeing that our viewpoints are different.
Still, if you had asked her where she found the strength to be a hero, she would point to Jesus.
If she pointed "to Jesus" - she would have to point to her FAITH in Jesus......as Jesus is a historical (or not) figure. He had nothing to do with accomplishing her actions for her. She did that. She could have had faith in the Soviet Union. That was her freedom.
As JT said, it's a belief. And not only that, it's a belief that generates emotion. And neither prove the existence, or lack thereof, of God or Jesus.
I may not have read all or the same letters you did concerning Mother Teresa and her faith, but from what I did read she said there were times she suffered doubt about God's existence and she begged for forgiveness for that doubt. Periodic doubt does not in and of itself mean she lacked faith.
Where did you get the Idea that Mother Teresa no longer believed in God? What she was going through was a scenario common to all mystics that is refered to as "The Dark Night Of The Soul" where for some reason God seems to be silent and prayer DRY.
As to doubts about God, faith is not faith in the absence of doubt.
Circular Arguement? No, MY PERCEPTION is that God created, so that is my reality. If my PERCEPTION was that a SPORTS TEAM created, that would be my reality. My fulfillment in God comes from my perception that God created all and saved me, it's the absence of this faith that would be so distracting to me.
YERUSALYIM "Vanity! It's my favorite sin!" [Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]
No, MY PERCEPTION is that God created, so that is my reality. If my PERCEPTION was that a SPORTS TEAM created, that would be my reality. My fulfillment in God comes from my perception that God created all and saved me, it's the absence of this faith that would be so distracting to me.
So you get meaning from believing or "perceiving" that you were created by God? What meaning though? OK, you think you'd be "distracted" without your belief but I still don't fully understand your assertion that "life without a God is a meaningless existence."
What I want to know is: 1. How does the existence of a god give your life meaning that it could not have without a god? 2. What is that meaning?
-- Bad times, hard times - this is what people keep saying; but let us live well, and times shall be good. We are the times: Such as we are, such are the times. - St. Augustine, 354-430
Circular Arguement? No, MY PERCEPTION is that God created, so that is my reality. If my PERCEPTION was that a SPORTS TEAM created, that would be my reality. My fulfillment in God comes from my perception that God created all and saved me, it's the absence of this faith that would be so distracting to me.
Of course it's a circular argument. If god didn't create the universe, then god would be even worse than a sports team, since sports teams at least exist. Thus, your argument that belief in god is superiour to belief in sports team rests on your belief in god. We have come full circle. You have no basis for saying that without god, life would be meaningless. If you didn't believe in God, then you would of course not derive this emotional crutch from your beliefs. Thus, you have no basis whatsoever for assuming you would consider life meaningless as a non-theist.
I suggest you read the extracts from Mother Theresa again.
faith is not faith in the absence of doubt
Another catchy religious slogan devoid of meaning.
- Jan -- - "How do you write women so well?" - "I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability." (Jack Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets")
An interesting article about Mother Teresa and her faith. Nothing to indicate she didn't believe in God towards the end of her life, but rather the opposite. I would be interested in reading more about this if others have links:
