Atheism

[Azza]

The scientist in me bridles at that suggestion. There IS an objective reality, and those of us significantly out of step with it are certified insane ;D.

How do you know you're not in an asylum imagining you're reading PRE?

 

[evo]

How do you know you're not in an asylum imagining you're reading PRE?

My default position is to assume I am. ;D

 

[ToraToraTora]

That wasn't the least bit smug and it certainly wasn't a threat.

Piffle! It was a typical supernatural threat smug some Christians love to pull out of their deck of cards. "i hope it's not too late by then"? You hope what is not too late? In relation to what? One can only assume lack of belief in your God because I am assuming you know nothing of the other posters lifestyles, moral standards or all round goodness as human beings beyond what you read on this board. That's as smug as it gets JF.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

God is certainly loving and gracious beyond what we can understand but the Bible tells us that he "allows evil to prosper for a time". It also has explanations for this and one, off the top of my head and without any research, is that He allows us to be tempted to test and strengthen our faith. It also says that He will never test us beyond what we can bear. This basically means that if we resist evil when we are tempted with it our faith will be all the stronger for it in the long run.

How you cannot, at a bare minimum, see this as a self-reinforcing meme is beyond me.

How to make a successful religion: start with some supernatural woo woo, add some blissful afterlife, stir through eternal damnation for non-adherence and don't forget to add the immunity from self-inspection and criticism...bake for 2000 years and VOILA!

 

[jayfox]

It's Hinduism's ultimate soul. Good thing you know all about these religions before you denounce them.

That was a joke. I can not believe that you could not see that and came back with that remark.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

Piffle! It was a typical supernatural threat smug some Christians love to pull out of their deck of cards. "i hope it's not too late by then"? You hope what is not too late? In relation to what? One can only assume lack of belief in your God because I am assuming you know nothing of the other posters lifestyles, moral standards or all round goodness as human beings beyond what you read on this board. That's as smug as it gets JF.

But he does know that I don't subscribe to his belief in the Chrisitian God and thus I am doomed to spend eternity in hell. No need to know about my lifestyle or moral standards. Lack of belief will suffice.

 

[t-rob]

But he does know that I don't subscribe to his belief in the Chrisitian God and thus I am doomed to spend eternity in hell. No need to know about my lifestyle or moral standards. Lack of belief will suffice.

It is never to late to turn.

:angel:

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

It is never to late to turn.

:angel:

Thanks anyway, but I think I'll stick with the asylum reading my PRE. ;D

 

[jayfox]

Of course it can be cruel....but that is the way of the world. Fortunately we have evolved the ability to be introspective and develop complex social interactions that has allowed us to develop a moral frameworks.

None of this requires a God BTW....the concept may prove useful for localised social cohesion, but this has nothing to do with the actual reality of said God.

I never said that it did prove God. I was merely responding to a claim that animals can not be cruel.

 

[ToraToraTora]

Yeah yeah....god is more loving and gracious than we can understand.......I, TTT, am more loving and gracious than GOD! There's a whole bunch of stuff that GOD did and does (figuratively speaking) that I would never ever contemplate because I know I would maim kill destroy not to mention emotionally devastate a whole bunch of my fellow human beings.

 

[Disco08]

That was a joke.

The condescending Liverpool wink gave me the impression you thought I got something wrong. My bad.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

I never said that it did prove God. I was merely responding to a claim that animals can not be cruel.

This is basic anthropomorphism.

 

[jayfox]

Piffle! It was a typical supernatural threat smug some Christians love to pull out of their deck of cards. "i hope it's not too late by then"? You hope what is not too late? In relation to what? One can only assume lack of belief in your God because I am assuming you know nothing of the other posters lifestyles, moral standards or all round goodness as human beings beyond what you read on this board. That's as smug as it gets JF.

Talk about judgemental. I stand by my claim that it was not in the slightest bit smug. I genuinely believe that we will all face God in judgement one day. I genuinely believe that if you do not believe that Jesus is God's son who died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day then you will go to Hell. I genuinely hope that PTFC (or anyone else for that matter) doesn't go to Hell as I genuinely believe he will if he doesn't change his mind. That is in no way smug but a genuine statement. To think otherwise, i.e. to not care if others go to Hell or not, would indicate very poor Christian ethics IMO. As one of my favourite preachers says - "If you do not have a heart for the lost then you can be sure that you are not saved yourself!"

 

[ToraToraTora]

Talk about judgemental. I stand by my claim that it was not in the slightest bit smug. I genuinely believe that we will all face God in judgement one day. I genuinely believe that if you do not believe that Jesus is God's son who died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day then you will go to Hell. I genuinely hope that PTFC (or anyone else for that matter) doesn't go to Hell as I genuinely believe he will if he doesn't change his mind. That is in no way smug but a genuine statement. To think otherwise, i.e. to not care if others go to Hell or not, would indicate very poor Christian ethics IMO. As one of my favourite preachers says - "If you do not have a heart for the lost then you can be sure that you are not saved yourself!"

JF join the club!! You are more gracious and loving than God too!!!! Or did you create Hell??!!

 

[jayfox]

Yeah yeah....god is more loving and gracious than we can understand.......I, TTT, am more loving and gracious than GOD! There's a whole bunch of stuff that GOD did and does (figuratively speaking) that I would never ever contemplate because I know I would maim kill destroy not to mention emotionally devastate a whole bunch of my fellow human beings.

I reckon if any one of us were God we would have given up on mankind completely thousands of years ago. I can't understand why God puts up with the crap from us that He does. Every single person, practically every day, doing things that He has clearly instructed us not to. But does He destroy us all or condemn all of us to Hell? No, instead of giving us what we deserve He sends His own Son to suffer and die on the cross, to take our punishment, so that we do not have to suffer eternity without Him.

It's only because He has amazing grace that we have the opportunity to live at all.

 

[evo]

I can't understand why God puts up with the crap from us that He does.

;D

I think thats your best one yet mate.

 

[Disco08]

But does He destroy us all or condemn all of us to Hell?

You're right, he doesn't destroy any of us (presumably that would be too merciful) and sends most of us to hell.

 

[jayfox]

The condescending Liverpool wink gave me the impression you thought I got something wrong. My bad.
[/quote

I do not read a thread that Liverpool constantly posts on so I didn't even know that he does that.

I must say though that I don't think you are completely free of condescending smileys. Here is a recent example which I may have taken the wrong way -

You don't have to have watched many animal doco's to know that all cats, small to very big will use their prey to hone their senses. It's purely to develop and maintain skills that are vital to wild cats' survival. Of course domestic cats still show this in-bred trait too, although probably not forever. Whilst it seems cruel judging it on a human level, as antman says it's pointless to judge these actions anthropomorphically. The cats need this exercise to survive so the trauma suffered by their prey is inevitable if the cats' species are to thrive. If anyone was being cruel it's the being that created this situation.

 

[jayfox]

JF join the club!! You are more gracious and loving than God too!!!! Or did you create Hell??!!

No way. I would have destroyed us all long ago rather than sending Jayfox jnr. to give us all a chance to be forgiven. Anyone who goes to Hell only has themselves to blame anyway. There is a very clear way of avoiding it.

 

[Disco08]

I do not read a thread that Liverpool constantly posts on so I didn't even know that he does that.

I must say though that I don't think you are completely free of condescending smileys. Here is a recent example which I may have taken the wrong way -

Whatever, sorry for admitting I made a mistake.