I personally think that it wouldn't have mattered 'a snow-ball's chance in hell' whether Christians would have added their opinions or not.

As I've said before, unless Christians or Xian's or whatever people want to deem them as, can come up with viable proof as to their proof of God, I can honestly see people stepping to the back burner of the stove.

Shame tho...

As there are alot of able-voiced individuals out there who could add to this interesting discussion.

Me? I don't have radio/viewer friendly listening voice.

[edit on 16-10-2007 by TheDuckster]

Because it no longer is the last interview.

[edit on 10/19/2007 by Dave Rabbit]

I was surprised by the lack the of responses from Christians . My Christians friends are open about there faith without trying to convert me. Its not like Christians were being asked to debate the existence of a higher power instead a friendly environment was on offer were they could share there beliefs.

As a Christian, I've submitted a request to be interviewed, I'd also love to talk more about my faith here, here's the requested biographical information I sent to JohnnyAnonymous:

My name is uberarcanist, I've been a member of ATS for about six and a half months. I'm single and have no children. I've been a practicing Christian for ten years and eight months. I think that we humans are here because God wills it, it was fulfilling to Him to create humankind and it is fulfilling to us to worship him. I have some pretty unorthodox views about God, I view Him to be somehow representative of the most advanced alien civilization that has ever existed. Perhaps God somehow survived the destruction of an old universe and created ours. I've always been a big fan of Asimov's short story "The Last Question" and I feel that story is pretty illustrative of my belief system. I am convinced that a lot of the Bible is metaphorical and not literal; for instance I feel that evolution is true, and the first part of Genesis was not meant to be interpreted literally.

Ask me some more questions, I'd love to better explain my belief system!

Well since religion is based on faith and not fact most discussion tends to lead to either logic loops or factual proof as attacks. Religion is also personal and many tend to just want to live the faith in a personal way without any need to prove something or defend something that really can not be proved or defended.

Just as the person with faith can not prove the existence of god the atheist can not disprove it either. So in the end what is there to discuss? It always seems to lead to this same end of neither side gaining any advantage.

Originally posted by Xtrozero

Just as the person with faith can not prove the existence of god the atheist can not disprove it either.

Nobody is really defining what God is at the end of the day. It can be proved depending on how you define it.


The All is the All.. if Christians say God is the All then God IS everything... yet they will deny that God can possibly be in my monitor or my wall or my clothes or.......... every-thing......... but if God is The All thats exactly what is the case.. otherwise he isnt all 3 omnis.

Thing is the bible God is not The All. cause no one God being can be The all. Its nuts to think one can be... all they can do is merely represent The All.

Now... everyone wants to be able to prove God exists...... well if you read the above and agree then you can see the proof of God around you in everything? you know full well THE ALL EXISTS or else nothing would be here!... so accept the fact this ALL has laws, and any GOD being representing it is under the control of those laws too... so even GOD, some being or beings who created mankind, is not more powerful than The All. SOURCE of all that is.

But if your looking for this one elusive being who flew about in the bible in some crafts or spirit form and spoke to prophets who wrote scriptures......... thats where it all gets messy... because thats always been the case, and we still have wars over whos God is God! people want to put a face to God.. thats why there is Jesus, or Horus, or Haile Selasse or whoever else.... people dont know what God looks like yet he must look like a man if we are created in his image and likeness....... and it all ends up with 'man worship' and forgetting the teachings and 'spiritual science!' which was as Jesus said,

''Is it not written in your law I said YOU ARE gODS ... and children of the most high.. but you will die like men. [ Jesus psalm 82.6 ]


According to the bible a day to 'God' is 1000 years to us, that suggests 'God' the bible being was probably on a planet at x distance which shouldn't be too hard for scientists and maths heads to figure out.

Mankind is on the verge of cloning, terraforming other planets, playing Gods... history repeats itself over and over and we get a mixup of creational stories, myths, but it doesnt mean there are no supernatural beings and a 'most high' benevolent race.


All is one anyway. ME = WE... [flip mode your brains] it maybe an illusion right now but quantum physics backs it up, all is connected on the subatomic planes.. all is returning to source and we either go mad returning anaylsing nittty gritty ancient pointless outdated facts or we get with it and chillout and see the bigger picture (with the RIGHT brain..)

Attributing the lack of participation of Christians to proving whether or not God exists isn't very wise. There could be a number of factors that resulted in lack of participation - work, school, life, family, etc.

I'm sure some do not feel comfortable having their voice heard on air.

[edit on 17-10-2007 by DJMessiah]

By the way I think Christians probably are giving up 'wasting time' writing and debating their faith thats maybe why they didnt participate.

And I myself as a person who used to, and still does occasionally pull the bible apart analysing it... I dont blame them... in fact I may even join them I know a group who are openminded, not all Christians wana beleive the typical bible storys of today.. shame they have to pick the label Christian really if they update their own belief.. but mind you even before standard Christianity there were many types of 'christian'.. Im more into those Gnostic scriptures myself, they tend to bounce well with the Kybalion, words of Jesus, buddhism, truth is everywhere, just like God.


Peace

Sorry, but I don't know how to use my computers' microphone.
I don't even know where it is.

Originally posted by TheDuckster
I personally think that it wouldn't have mattered 'a snow-ball's chance in hell' whether Christians would have added their opinions or not.

maybe it is this type of attitude that keeps Christians way. Maybe they don't feel their is anything to gain from"debating" with your type. Maybe they feel there would be alot of sacrilige talk and disrespect towards things they hold sacred?

[edit on 17-10-2007 by icybreeze]

Originally posted by uberarcanist
As a Christian, I've submitted a request to be interviewed, I'd also love to talk more about my faith here, here's the requested biographical information I sent to JohnnyAnonymous:

My name is uberarcanist, I've been a member of ATS for about six and a half months. I'm single and have no children. I've been a practicing Christian for ten years and eight months. I think that we humans are here because God wills it, it was fulfilling to Him to create humankind and it is fulfilling to us to worship him. I have some pretty unorthodox views about God, I view Him to be somehow representative of the most advanced alien civilization that has ever existed. Perhaps God somehow survived the destruction of an old universe and created ours. I've always been a big fan of Asimov's short story "The Last Question" and I feel that story is pretty illustrative of my belief system. I am convinced that a lot of the Bible is metaphorical and not literal; for instance I feel that evolution is true, and the first part of Genesis was not meant to be interpreted literally.

Ask me some more questions, I'd love to better explain my belief system!

Black-White Sensationalism and a brainwashed populace are not able to digest anything that doesnt fit the standard belief-systems. Personally Id love to hear more on a not-so-standard belief such as yours.

Didn't see/hear it and don't have a microphone so couldn't respond anyway.

I'm sorry, I'm lost here. What interview and what was the intent of the interview? What were christians going to be interviewed about? From the comments on this thread I'm taking it was going to be to try to prove the existence of God? If so, you can count me out...as Maris Tomei said in My Cousin Vinnie -

Trotter: Alright, alright. Now, Miss Vito, being an expert on general automotive knowledge, can you tell me what would be the correct ignition timing be on a 1955 Bellaire Chevrolet with a 327 cubic engine and a 4-barrel carburetor.

Vito: It's a bull# question.

Trotter: Does that mean that you can't answer it?

Vito: It's a bull# question. It's impossible to answer.

Trotter: It's impossible because you don't know the answer!

Vito: Nobody could answer that question!

Trotter: Your Honor, I move to disqualify Miss Vito as a expert witness.

Judge Chamberlain Haller: Can you answer the question?

Vito: No. It is a trick question.

Judge Chamberlain Haller: Why is it a trick question?

Vincent Gambini: Watch this.

Vito: 'Cause Chevy didn't make a 327 in '55. The 327 didn't come out til '62. And it wasn't offered in the Bellaire with the 4-barrel carburetor til '64. However, in 1964 the correct ignition timing would be 4 degrees before top dead center.

Trotter: Well, uh, she's acceptable, Your Honor.

as i said i'm not eloquent but would try if you thought from hearing me speak on the phone that i could or could not help out--------however once born again christians start to hear what i really think-----they quickly lose interest in hearing too much more-------i'was thrown out of 2 churches and left about 4 others or more.even as a little kid before going to school/reform school to me i wondered why i was alive and wanted to know and basically never stopped searching for the truth and still do at age 60.it is a great disappointment to find that the churches etc. do not teach all the truth and insist on adding their pagan beliefs and it is also disappointing to find out what the copyists and translaters have done to the origional scriptures that instead of helping us more easily understand G-Ds truth covers it up and distorts it instead in many verses and books of the bible.

maybe it is this type of attitude that keeps Christians way. Maybe they don't feel their is anything to gain from"debating" with your type.

For the record...I'm spiritual. Not agnostic, not atheist, nor religeous.

As far as debating with 'my type', I welcome any and all challenges.
This contributes to my growth as well!

Maybe they feel there would be alot of sacrilige talk and disrespect towards things they hold sacred?

Perhaps.

Should those, whose beliefs come under attack, always cringe whenever their viewpoints are scutinized against, must then look inward and realize how strong their faith is in the first place.

When believers make mistakes (like everyone else), do we get demoted to 'non-believer' status? Nope. Stumbling blocks serve to strengthen us.

I believe that to be the same with real Christians - not the 'fly-by-night' ones who don't practice what they preach.

As far as Christians, believers, et al, I think the majority of us are likened to the 'scare-crow' affect - up on a block, only to be shot down.

Shooting duck gallery. That's my opinion only.

Don't ge me wrong, from treking around the boards, I've seen some very civil-minded and well behaved non-believers.

They bring a breath of fresh air to the table.

It's these people, that I enjoy talking with, as well as the Christian non bible thumpers.

That's what a 'healthy' discussion is all about.

I chose my opening topic; not to stir up and rile the believers, but to 'flush' them out of the bushes, that I think they 'might' be hiding in.

I'm happy to see a number of you contributing to this thread, and thank you kindly.

~Ducky~




[edit on 17-10-2007 by TheDuckster]

[edit on 17-10-2007 by TheDuckster]

I recently came up with my own idea about God and the Universe. I would consider myself a sarcastic agnostic. That being said here is my theory: A species(we can call it "Man" if you want becomes so advanced that eventually it creates the ability to time travel. This being said, future man, which for practical purposes we shall call "Homo-Superior" takes some of its technology and goes back to early Earth. He creates an ozone, and the conditions for life to exist, he then moves forward in time to a good point where most large predators are extinct, and modifies the DNA of one of our ancestors/and theres, to make "homo erectus" This being said he again jumped forward again to see how things were going. At this time it noticed that man was horrible diverging from his time line, and therefore realized that something drastic needed to be done. HE therefore decreased the ozone, and increased greenhouse gases causing the temperature t o warm drastically causing the first flood, which destroyed the early civilizations. This is why you here stories of Atlantis, Noah and the flood, etc. This being said he jumped ahead again, don't know when he'll show up, but then all the descendants of Abraham will view him as the messiah.

This all being said, Since advanced technology is necessary in order for us to eventually exist, it becomes necessary for us to form a church that can actually establish the necessary technologies in the futures. Therefore, I would like to introduce you all the my faith: The Church of GOD 3000. I am the Epop, head if you will the church. If you would like to join my church just send a $10 donation to my paypal account. If you sign up 5 members underneath you, you then become eligable to become a deacon in the Church. With a small donation of $100 I will send you documentation showing that you are a deacon in the church. If you sign up 5 deacons underneath you, you then become eligable to become a priest in the church, and establish you own church where you can collect tithe. Upon recieving the $500 registration fee, I will then submit the paperwork to establish your terrritory for exclusive recruiting for the chuch. At this point, if you sign up 5 priests into the church, you shall then automatically be promoted to Cardinal, where you are responsible for overseeing the priests in your region, as well as forwarding 80% of all tithe on to the arch cardinal for investment on technology. Once you sign up 5 cardinals, I shall then appoint you as an arch cardinal, in charge of overseeing the cardinals in your division, and forwarding 75% of all tithe on to the epop. Every 50 years or upon the death of the current epop, The arch cardinals shall meet, and elect a new epop from there group.

I wish you all luck in this, and look forward to hearing from you for discussion.

I think this theory is very possible for the simple reason that if no proof currently exists, its because the proof hasn't been created yet. As its all done in the future. Additionally, this would explain several biblical concepts such as Angels"homo Superiors", The immaculate conception "artifical insemination", and the star that lead the wise men to bethleham "ever check out a helicopter in the city". Additionally, this assists with previous evidence god currently in existance, namely the bible, as well as the rock formations.

Cheers to all on discussing this, and if interested in giving donations U2U me.

Camain

Originally posted by TheDuckster

Should those, whose beliefs come under attack, always cringe whenever their viewpoints are scutinized against, must then look inward and realize how strong their faith is in the first place.

Cringe is the wrong word and is offensive. You are trolling. It is very subtle but trolling none the less. It lessens the value of the whole site.

Yes, there is a God. Jesus died for me on a Cross to atone for my sins. I believe that with all my heart and soul. I asked and it was proved to me. Anyone who asks who has a true desire to know will have it proved to them. Few have the courage and most who claim to be Christians are not.

As to the question you used for bait. I have a life. I work 12 hours a day. I have a Family to support. I had no knowledge of the show or when it happened. I still don't know the topic. You did not say what the topic was. Why did Dave need Christians? Is he missing some? (pun intended) What does it pay? What would have been in it for me?