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If it is found that there is no 'you' - who's to worry about anything.
When there is no worry - there is love.
Originally posted by Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by lonewolf19792000
I know this is going to come off wrong, I apologize it's not my intent. Just wanting to understand.
So you're saying you believe the Christian Bible to be the infallible Word of God. That it truthfully, accurately, represents the thoughts and wishes of the creator of all of existence.... because you were able to get out of a dark place in your life and you feel much better now?
Surely people of other religions have made this claim.
Originally posted by Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by lonewolf19792000
I know this is going to come off wrong, I apologize it's not my intent. Just wanting to understand.
So you're saying you believe the Christian Bible to be the infallible Word of God. That it truthfully, accurately, represents the thoughts and wishes of the creator of all of existence.... because you were able to get out of a dark place in your life and you feel much better now?
Surely people of other religions have made this claim.
Originally posted by Plotus
Originally posted by Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by lonewolf19792000
I know this is going to come off wrong, I apologize it's not my intent. Just wanting to understand.
So you're saying you believe the Christian Bible to be the infallible Word of God. That it truthfully, accurately, represents the thoughts and wishes of the creator of all of existence.... because you were able to get out of a dark place in your life and you feel much better now?
Surely people of other religions have made this claim.
I'd like to answer that.. the Bible we have today is kind of inaccurate, it has been somewhat contaminated, I think we can all agree, but the 'Books of the Bible, books like those written by Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls and other authors in antiquity bear witness and corroborate each other and overlap. Probably the most correct form exists in the Gutenberg Bible, and perhaps there are translation inaccuracies in it as well. BUT there are enough manuscripts (thousands) in existence that we can find the truth if we search. Including the Apocrypha as well.
The distinction I was trying to make was between worshipping ourselves, our wills, our desires, and worshipping and serving God, His will and desires.
Not to mention, you are referring to your Christian god, but would you make the same arguement if we were talking about a god of another religion?
I'm confused by this, I'm hoping you can clear it up. The question of God is the fundamental question, isn't it? Our understanding of our lives, purposes, even reality, is tied up in how we answer those questions. A universe, and a people without a God is different, at root, from one which has some traditional style of a God in it.
I'm sorry, but you don't seem to understand. I don't believe in any gods. But I don't fight to reject a belief in god.
I just don't believe.
Aren't you? Humanity, as far back as we can tell, has had beliefs in some form of the gods, be they crocodiles, stars, trees, spirits, something. Those who do not have a desire to believe in some form of God are a distinct minority. I might add, they are a fairly modern minority. Oh, there were Atheists in the past, but in our lifetimes we have seen entire countries attempt to impose Atheism, even by the killings of believers. Even then, believers come back, even if it means hiding to worship. They are serving Truth at the expense of their lives. Are we that strong?
This isn't true at all. You are assuming that we have an interest in believing in a god, which then means we are somehow fighting ourselves to not believe it.
The "1952" in my name is my year of birth, I appreciate your assurance that things happen here that do not bring comfort. I agree. But notice the reaction some people have. "We only have to solve poverty, or prejudice, or ignorance, or whatever." The underlying idea is that "if we can only remake man so that he is like us, enlightened, then we will have no need of stories of Heaven, we will have created our own. Man and science will take their rightful places as ruler and controller of the Universe, and we can put away the nonsense of the gods."
I assure you, there is no comfort in seeing the realities of this world.
Originally posted by Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by samstone11
I am just asking if it is such a big leap from believing in the incredible, the unexplainable, the conspiracies, and all the other issues and topics that drive a great site like ATS to believing in God?
It's one thing to invite my mind to ponder eternity, a first cause, a prime mover.... it's something entirely different to ask it to believe he is a he, dislikes certain people, prefers less skin on particular body parts, etc.
The opposition, at least from me, is the horrible dogmatic beliefs that often envelope an otherwise fantastic idea to explore.