Posts by AGuest

452

Faith... and Trust: The Same Things?

by AGuest in

in a discussion with some other dear ones, the question was asked as to what such ones put their faith in.

in response to one comment that"one can't function without faith," another disagreed, stating ones can, that "many do so every day... the ones who have trust" (in things like the sun rising in the east versus the west).

that trust extended to "faith" based "on nature and the natural order of things.

AGuest

As to for you usual suspects... you boyz... c'mon, let's be real: no truce can occur, at least not right now. Not because I don't want one... but because you're incapable of such at this particular time. I just wish you would be HONEST... and TRUTHFUL... for ONCE in your posting lives... and just say that, say, "No. Nope. Won't do it. Can't do it." And stop blowing all of your "intellectual" smoke and melarkey all over the board and at these dear folks. Some here are really trying... but you want them to THINK that "AGuest and what she believes... is the reason there can be no truce!" "What 'AGuest' says" and "how 'AGuest' says it is the REALY problem."

Oh, c'mon. Give these poor dear folks... and yourselves... a break - stop LYING to them (and possibly to yourselves). Every time you tell one lie... you have to create another one to justify that one: "It's not what she says, it's how she says it." "It's not what she thinks, it's that she thinks it." "I'm not interested in a thing she has to say - OMG, she just insulted me with something she said (okay, it wasn't TO me, but I still felt insulted!")

There can be no truce... and you KNOW it... because YOU are incapable of being a part of one. You WANT to fight; you feel it your personal mission, vocation. You have said it before... and all of the "smart" talk doesn't cover it over.

But, goodness gracious - have SOME integrity, won't you... and just speak the TRUTH? For ONCE in your "post-spiritual" lives?

I mean, really, have SOME real cahones. Step up, be a man... and speak the TRUTH. Or shut the frick up about "AGuest." Truthfully, though, and this is MY truth (which I am NOT afraid to state)... I don't really have high hopes for you as to either: speaking the truth... or shutting up about "AGuest." I just don't believe you can do either.

A slave of Christ,

SA, who at least WILL speak the TRUTH... even if others don't like/can't handle it...

452

Faith... and Trust: The Same Things?

by AGuest in

in a discussion with some other dear ones, the question was asked as to what such ones put their faith in.

in response to one comment that"one can't function without faith," another disagreed, stating ones can, that "many do so every day... the ones who have trust" (in things like the sun rising in the east versus the west).

that trust extended to "faith" based "on nature and the natural order of things.

AGuest

Cofty's past spirituality was indeed just dismissed because it was somehow 'tainted' because he was a member of a church.

OMG, what the frick... WHAT "spirituality", dear NC (peace to you!). I'm the one who claims that we ALL are spirits and thus spirit[ual]. C himself denies his spirituality, NOT me. I did not dismiss HIS past spirituality. He commented:

I mixed with many people who made the same claims during the years I was a Christian.

And I asked:

What people, C? People at your church?

Because I don't KNOW what people he was referring to. People he worked with? People he met? Worshipped with? I ASKED. I THEN stated:

Forgive me, but if that's the case, then I understand your skepticism

AND...

(and I mean no offense to ANYONE - just stating that I understand).

Obviously, SOMETHING was lacking there... if it didn't cause him to HOLD ON to his "spirituality" (which is not something that one LOSES - THAT is yet another FALSE teaching of religion - spirituality is not something we HAVE... it's something we (ALL)... ARE: spirits, in "earthen vessels" - the body of flesh (with IT'S blood).

I realize that of you often respond on threads where you've not read all of the posts (you often state this, so I'm not making it up, calling you out, or falsely accusing you). Perhaps that is what occurred here - that because the topic doesn't really interest you, you perhaps skimmed the contents? If so, I would ask you to take a moment, go back and read everything... so as to maybe have an understanding of what transpired. You might have to read another thread or two, as well, to get a true sense of just what's transpiring, but that's your prerogative - you don't have to, of course.

But I in NO WAY dismissed C's "past spirituality - HE has dismissed it. All I stated is that I UNDERSTAND WHY he might have done that: those people who he claims "made the same claims during the years [he] was a Christian" apparently didn't convince him. That's on THEM, NOT on me.

I am not those people.

Again, peace to you... and I ask YOU, that if you cannot give me the benefit of the doubt off the top, then at least condescend to read what has fully transpired, rather than jumping to conclusions and accusing me of something that in NO way occurred.

Thank you, truly, and, again peace to you!

A slave of Christ,

SA

699

A truce between Atheists and Non-Atheists?

by palmtree67 in

jw
friends

ricky gervais tweeted this 11/14/12 and i totally agree with it:.

"there are good atheists and bad atheists.

there are good believers and bad believers.. no god has ever changed that.".

AGuest

(Shaking head) Oy, vey! ENOUGH, already! PLEASE.

Why has this thread turned into yet another "AGuest-a-Fest"? Because I commented? Seriously??? Many others commented, as well... yet, the thread hasn't become about them. Can we get back to discussing the question at hand: "A truce between Atheists and Non-Atheists"... whether such is feasible or not... if not, why not, and if so, how to come to it?... and take any other issues we might have, including those about "AGuest", what "AGuest" thinks, feels, says, believes, meant, intended, or did... to another thread? I've started one and I truly don't mind if folks wanna post their... mmmm... "stuff" there (although I can't answer for others, like Simon and Co., who MIGHT mind, depending on the content/tone)... but, please, can we TRY to give this thread (and dear Palm - peace to you!), the consideration both deserve?

Or maybe just move on past "AGuest" altogether... once and for all?

If you have an issue with "AGuest"... THIS is not the thread to discuss that. Actually, if you have an issue with "AGuest"... so what? No one CARES any more. Well, except the usual suspects. But no one SHOULD care. Really, GET OVER IT!. Please. For your OWN sake, if not that of the thread, the board, others... your children, spouses, loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, strangers, enemies... the board and other posters' sake! I mean... c'MON, already!

NO ONE CARES what you a few of you "think" about "AGuest", TRULY. Especially AGuest. No one SHOULD. Including YOU. If they/you do... what does that say about YOU/them?

Good GOLLY. I mean... seriously... ENOUGH, already. Discuss the TOPIC.

Peace... 'cause Lord knows so many need it!

A slave of Christ,

SA, who thinks... nahh, nevermind. Doesn't MATTER.

452

Faith... and Trust: The Same Things?

by AGuest in

in a discussion with some other dear ones, the question was asked as to what such ones put their faith in.

in response to one comment that"one can't function without faith," another disagreed, stating ones can, that "many do so every day... the ones who have trust" (in things like the sun rising in the east versus the west).

that trust extended to "faith" based "on nature and the natural order of things.

AGuest

One man's trash, dear Etude (peace to you!)... one man's trash...

A slave of Christ,

SA

699

A truce between Atheists and Non-Atheists?

by palmtree67 in

jw
friends

ricky gervais tweeted this 11/14/12 and i totally agree with it:.

"there are good atheists and bad atheists.

there are good believers and bad believers.. no god has ever changed that.".

AGuest

So as not to derail (although some seem intent on it), please see my comment No. 9800, E, here:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242364/1/C

A slave of Christ,

SA

61

C...

by AGuest in

peace to you (forgive me if that offends/insults, but i felt wrong not offering it in opening this new thread).

to continue where we left off on the "truce" thread:.

there is no such thing as relative truth - it is not open to subjective feelings.

AGuest

That's not a definition its a sermon about how everybody is wrong except you.

You asked me how did I define religion. I responded "probably not as you do." That didn't suffice, so you asked again how I defined religion. And so I responded with my definition. You denied both responses were made and deceitfully raised the issue again. And I've provide my definition... again.

Now... you take issue with my definition (versus falsely accusing me of not responding). Of course, you do.

A slave of Christ,

SA

61

C...

by AGuest in

peace to you (forgive me if that offends/insults, but i felt wrong not offering it in opening this new thread).

to continue where we left off on the "truce" thread:.

there is no such thing as relative truth - it is not open to subjective feelings.

AGuest

Has to do with not wanting to start a new thread for each comment... as well as not wanting to derail other, pertinent threads.

So, I will add this, as well:

"in the abundance of words their does not fail to be transgression" - NWT

Indeed.

"For there is not a fine tree producing rotten fruit; again there is not a rotten tree producing fine fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For example, people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they cut grapes off a thornbush. A good man brings forth good out of the good treasure of his heart, but a wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of his wicked [treasure]; for out of the heart’s abundance his mouth" - NWT

Perhaps, then, little in the heart sometimes results in little out of it, as well.

A slave of Christ,

SA

452

Faith... and Trust: The Same Things?

by AGuest in

in a discussion with some other dear ones, the question was asked as to what such ones put their faith in.

in response to one comment that"one can't function without faith," another disagreed, stating ones can, that "many do so every day... the ones who have trust" (in things like the sun rising in the east versus the west).

that trust extended to "faith" based "on nature and the natural order of things.

AGuest

(Shaking head) I am beginning to think you simply just cannot help yourself. I am truly sorry for that...

A slave of Christ,

SA

61

C...

by AGuest in

peace to you (forgive me if that offends/insults, but i felt wrong not offering it in opening this new thread).

to continue where we left off on the "truce" thread:.

there is no such thing as relative truth - it is not open to subjective feelings.

AGuest

A couple of days ago I asked you twice in the same thread how you were defining religion. You declined to answer.

Sigh. This isn't TRUE, C. I responded to you... twice, I believe. The first time I responded that my definition probably isn't your definition. Now, you might not LIKE that response, but it was a response - I did not ignore or overlook you. You asked again, and I believe I provided the following (but if not, here it is again, since I'm trying to be truthful):

"... those systems and/or institutions of worship built up and led by MAN (i.e., humans, both male and female), whether due to a claim of following God, Christ, a deity or deities, any other entity or entities, or none at all, that are governed by certain creeds, doctrines, and/ or [organizational] “mission statements” created by man, which identify their members specifically, and are based on books (ancient OR modern), human traditions, human philosophies, and oral or written mantras, as I believe such are not only used to “gather” like-minded individuals to a common belief system but, ultimately, to control their beliefs and thoughts; that once an individual disagrees with some or all of such, they no longer “belong” and are often considered some manner of a “threat”... large OR small... to the “collective” and its overall way of thinking/believing."

That is how *I* define religion.

A slave of Christ,

SA

452

Faith... and Trust: The Same Things?

by AGuest in

in a discussion with some other dear ones, the question was asked as to what such ones put their faith in.

in response to one comment that"one can't function without faith," another disagreed, stating ones can, that "many do so every day... the ones who have trust" (in things like the sun rising in the east versus the west).

that trust extended to "faith" based "on nature and the natural order of things.

AGuest

I mixed with many people who made the same claims during the years I was a Christian.

What people, C? People at your church? Forgive me, but if that's the case, then I understand your skepticism (and I mean no offense to ANYONE - just stating that I understand).

I totally understood where they were coming from but it is disingenuous.

And that could have been the case as to you, too. But it is not the case with ALL. YOUR experiences is not all-inclusive nor all-encompassing.

Faith bridges the gap where evidence is inadequate.

For some, yes... because of their definition OF "faith." But where it does so... it is not only bridging inadequacies, it itself IS inadequate... and inaccurate. That's why you have the conundrum over this that YOU do... and why what is being shared with you NOW tweaks you so: it isn't inadequate OR inaccurate. It's just that no one ever told YOU of these things before... and you're finding that difficult to handle ("Hey, God! I had faith! Why didn't you tell/show these things to ME??!").

I would offer that if you truly want to know the answer to that... you have to go back to the One you're demanding an answer FROM. But... you have to get in/come before Him the way HE has arranged for that: through His Son. But... you have KNOW that Son to do so. And... you have to believe that Son exists in order to know him. So... you have to back to Square One: the love you had AT FIRST... but now have lost.

There is a trend among modern christians to eschew faith in the traditional sense of the word. By traditional I mean how it has been used by christians for 2 thousand years.

Yeah, well... and look where that's getting them. Not working much for you, is it?

They were honest about the need for faith to help them believe in the unseen and overcome doubt.

And they're right... in their knowledge of the NEED for faith. Unfortunately, knowing what one needs... and knowing accurately what that IS... is not always the same thing. I mean, I can know I need "vitamins". But if I don't know what a "vitamin" is... I might find myself overdosing on "minerals."

Its as if you want the same solid foundation for your beliefs that comes from science and reason but you get their by pretending really really hard.

That's how you might see it. I don't see us (those who do have faith) trying hard at all. In fact, I think that we DON'T try as hard [as some are used to/want us to] is another thing that upsets you. It's TOO easy... and so CAN'T be. Again, though, as I've stated over and over... and over... it's not rocket science. It really IS A-B-C, 1-2-3. Elementary, at least to start.

A slave of Christ,

SA