Theology

[Sabby]

So I wouldn't believe your experience because I'm skeptical?

That just shows me your reasons aren't very strong.

[Dovahkiin]

Well, read it for yourself.

Spoiler

When I was younger and going through puberty, I began having really disturbing and horrible thoughts. Really dark stuff. Well, I just sat on my bed and prayed to God and said that I was scared of what I'd become in the future if these thoughts continued. I asked him to show me something to put me at ease. Following the whole theme, I picked up my bible which had been gathering dust and haphazardly flipped through it. The first scripture (I'm not kidding, the very first scripture I laid my eyes on.) I read mentioned a man with my name and that his future would be happy if he remained faithful. Something about purifying his sons, I can't really remember exactly what it said as it's been about six years. I immediately broke down where I was and the most profound feeling of relief flowed through me. Never since have I had another evil thought like the thoughts I was having back then.

[close]

It's up for you to interpret, but again, I'm not expecting you to understand.

[Sabby]

There's nothing interpretative about that... and certainly nothing indicative of a divine message.

You've already dismissed all inquiry as 'meanies being mean to me for no raisens', and that's just fine, you certainly have a right to clap your hands over your ears, but please don't insult my intelligence with "You just wouldn't understand it". Flimsy reasoning I can handle, a smoke screen of special pleading I can't.

[Dovahkiin]

You completely misread me. I wasn't insulting your intelligence at all, and I have already stated multiple times that I don't completely discount the possibility that God doesn't exist.

And you typing the southern drawl to indicate stupid southern American christians? Nice. Never heard of that before.

I meant that you wouldn't understand it because it's a personal experience of mine, and based off of that experience I have faith. Don't be so sensitive.

[Cal427eb]

Don't be so sensitive.

Lots of that on the forum lately. Over sensitive members that are new to the forum.

[Sabby]

Southern drawl? Your used to reading things that aren't there, I see, because I made no such joke. I'm not being overly sensitive, your claiming others won't understand your experience because it was personal. True, we can't feel what you felt exactly, but that doesn't mean the content of the story is beyond us.

You asked a question, opened a book, and saw something that sort of looked like an answer. Well done. It's still flimsy reasoning that can't stand up to questioning, which is why you can't defend it with any intellectual honesty.

[Crazy Rich]

Don't be so sensitive.

Lots of that on the forum lately. Over sensitive members that are new to the forum.

Yea, what is up with that?

There must be a shortage of chill pills.

[Dovahkiin]

Southern drawl? Your used to reading things that aren't there, I see, because I made no such joke. I'm not being overly sensitive, your claiming others won't understand your experience because it was personal. True, we can't feel what you felt exactly, but that doesn't mean the content of the story is beyond us.

You asked a question, opened a book, and saw something that sort of looked like an answer. Well done. It's still flimsy reasoning that can't stand up to questioning, which is why you can't defend it with any intellectual honesty.

I was going through problems and I was scared for my future. The book said that the man's future would be happy, if he kept his faith, and the man's name was my name. It was also the very first scripture I read when I came to a random page. That's all the proof I need. I don't have to prove anything to you. And, uh...

'meanies being mean to me for no raisens'

Unless you're completely terrible at spelling, that looks to me like a southern accent of the word 'reasons'. 

I never meant any offense, and just because you've misinterpreted what I said doesn't give you an excuse to fly off the handle. Calm down.

Don't be so sensitive.

Lots of that on the forum lately. Over sensitive members that are new to the forum.

Yea, what is up with that?

There must be a shortage of chill pills.

[Cal427eb]

Don't be so sensitive.

Lots of that on the forum lately. Over sensitive members that are new to the forum.

Yea, what is up with that?

There must be a shortage of chill pills.

[Sabby]

I was going through problems and I was scared for my future. The book said that the man's future would be happy, if he kept his faith, and the man's name was my name. It was also the very first scripture I read when I came to a random page. That's all the proof I need. I don't have to prove anything to you. And, uh...

See, you've described how it is you came to faith. All I tried to get across was that faith is a non-answer. Even if your reasoning was completely solid (which it isn't) it still only shows that you believe. What you believe and what is plausible are two different arguments, and I'm saying that regardless of one, you've failed at the other.

Unless you're completely terrible at spelling, that looks to me like a southern accent of the word 'reasons'. 

Oh my. No Raisens is a meme.

I never meant any offense, and just because you've misinterpreted what I said doesn't give you an excuse to fly off the handle. Calm down.

See, I despise intellectual dishonesty, and the way in which Theists use it. Every time I ask someone why they believe X, they duck and weave and claim misinterpretation and personal experience and generally avoid directly answering questions. I see no difference between talking to a Christian and talking to a Medium.

Yes, I was a little too aggressive in my wording and I apologize, but perhaps you should try asking someone about how they were saved from a dark period of their life by Allah. I imagine it would be a very educational conversation for you.

http://www.theicarusproject.net/files/images/chill_pill.preview.jpg

Oh good, the Trollwagon have started to move. That's my cue to leave for the night. Have no desire to discuss anything while stepping over failed attempts at being funny.

[Dovahkiin]

See, you've described how it is you came to faith. All I tried to get across was that faith is a non-answer. Even if your reasoning was completely solid (which it isn't) it still only shows that you believe. What you believe and what is plausible are two different arguments, and I'm saying that regardless of one, you've failed at the other.

For this very reason, I didn't expect for you to understand.

Oh my. No Raisens is a meme.

Oh, I didn't know that. My apologies.

See, I despise intellectual dishonesty, and the way in which Theists use it. Every time I ask someone why they believe X, they duck and weave and claim misinterpretation and personal experience and generally avoid directly answering questions. I see no difference between talking to a Christian and talking to a Medium.

Yes, I was a little too aggressive in my wording and I apologize, but perhaps you should try asking someone about how they were saved from a dark period of their life by Allah. I imagine it would be a very educational conversation for you.

Okay, turn that high powered perception at yourself. Why do you believe...well, whatever you believe? Can science expressly prove it? If so bravo, if not; you, my friend, are a hypocrite. 

Oh good, the Trollwagon have started to move. That's my cue to leave for the night. Have no desire to discuss anything while stepping over failed attempts at being funny.

I thought it was pretty funny. 

[Vickers]

I have a few questions for the religious members (that no religious person I've spoken to has been able to answer yet without doing the ol' dodge and saying "I just know" or "You gotta have faith"):

How do you know your religion is the right one?

Do different religions have different afterlifes? Or is there only one correct religion and all the others are wrong?

Let's say you were born into a different religion, would you still realistically see yourself switching to the religion you are part of now? Or do you think you would be raised to believe that the religion you were born into is the right one and you wouldn't question it?

Now I don't want this to turn into something ugly. I'm really just very curious what you have to say. Because I went to church as a kid and eventually stopped going because we were given a choice if we wanted to go or not. I started asking bigger questions and those were a few of the questions I was asking as a kid and was pretty frustrated at the time because nobody could give me a clear answer.

[maledoro]

Obviously, the phrase "Spare the rod, spoil the child." comes to mind when I think of things that I don't agree with in the bible. I go by my gut when I make decisions in my life. I don't follow the bible with everything I do.

I can understand not following that bit of "advice", but why go with the rest of the stuff and still be considered a Christian? Why not pitch the batch and be of another religion (or "non-religion") that has good stuff? Or be, for want of a better word, a "Dovahkiinian"? To me, being a Christian and deciding what to accept from God and not is like disobeying a parent. Sure, parents like to give their kids some independence, but they still had rules to obey.

And I believe in God because myself and several members of my family have had several unexplainable experiences when it comes to God. Like I said, I'm not completely ignoring the possibility that he doesn't exist, but I suppose it just comes down to a question of personal faith.

So, let me get this straight: you don't know what was behind certain things, so it must be something that you didn't know for sure had a hand in the workings, and you chose to believe in this thing because you like the idea of it, and you're not willing to do just anything it instructs you to do?

I'm also wondering what attributes God has that you had recognized in a signature left at these events that removes fairies, unicorns, genies, et al., from being responsible for the occurances?

[Dovahkiin]

How do you know your religion is the right one?

Do different religions have different afterlifes? Or is there only one correct religion and all the others are wrong?

Let's say you were born into a different religion, would you still realistically see yourself switching to the religion you are part of now? Or do you think you would be raised to believe that the religion you were born into is the right one and you wouldn't question it?

Question 1: I don't know if it is.

Question 2: I don't know if they do.

Question 3: I would honestly probably stay in the religion I was born into.

I've done plenty of questioning of Christianity for sure, I don't discount the possibility that God isn't real and I keep an open mind to everything. If science is able to prove without a doubt that God doesn't exist, then I'll accept it. Until then, however, I'm going to believe.

Obviously, the phrase "Spare the rod, spoil the child." comes to mind when I think of things that I don't agree with in the bible. I go by my gut when I make decisions in my life. I don't follow the bible with everything I do.

I can understand not following that bit of "advice", but why go with the rest of the stuff and still be considered a Christian? Why not pitch the batch and be of another religion (or "non-religion") that has good stuff? Or be, for want of a better word, a "Dovahkiinian"?

And I believe in God because myself and several members of my family have had several unexplainable experiences when it comes to God. Like I said, I'm not completely ignoring the possibility that he doesn't exist, but I suppose it just comes down to a question of personal faith.

So, let me get this straight: you don't know what was behind certain things, so it must be something that you didn't had a hand in the workings, and you chose to believe in this thing because you like the idea of it, and you're not willing to do just anything it instructs you to do?

I'm also wondering what attributes God has that you had recognized in a signature left at these events that removes fairies, unicorns, genies, et al., from being responsible for the occurances?

I'm getting tired of this philosophical discussion. Read the above statement. I'm done.

[Vickers]

How do you know your religion is the right one?

Do different religions have different afterlifes? Or is there only one correct religion and all the others are wrong?

Let's say you were born into a different religion, would you still realistically see yourself switching to the religion you are part of now? Or do you think you would be raised to believe that the religion you were born into is the right one and you wouldn't question it?

Question 1: I don't know if it is.

Question 2: I don't know if they do.

Question 3: I would honestly probably stay in the religion I was born into.

Thanks for your honesty.