The nature of the Almighty

[dpmartin]

Mr Dexter78
Sorry I haven’t been available to reply

Look of course I can’t prove to you in earthy things that there is a Living God. The Living God in not of the earth. Even your heart and mind are earthly things. This I can tell you, if you turn to Him in sincerity and in Truth, He will show you that He is within your reach, and if you receive His Word, revealed to the world as Jesus The Christ, you will have everlasting Life.

Even if you say I don’t really believe your really there, but if you show me, I will believe. He will take you up on it.


Thanks for the conversation.

[boagie]

Here is George Carlin's thoughts on the nature of god.


Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky, who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn’t want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you and he needs money.


Honk if you love Jesus!!

[harvey1]

Originally Posted by Dexter78

Wanting a God, feeling there is one, that such a being is truth, guides, creates, etc. in no way validates it's existence. The feelings are real, but to make the leap that because the feelings are real, and one believes that God is the reason for them, therefore there is a God, is specious reasoning and can also be used to justify Santa Claus.

Just a fun question. If neuroscientists discovered a stimulation of a certain part of the brain invariably made an atheist a devote believer, and this simple procedure worked with 100% of all clients, then how much money would someone have to pay you to undergo the test? How much money does your atheism mean to you?

[Irishcop]

Originally Posted by harvey1

Just a fun question. If neuroscientists discovered a stimulation of a certain part of the brain invariably made an atheist a devote believer, and this simple procedure worked with 100% of all clients, then how much money would someone have to pay you to undergo the test? How much money does your atheism mean to you?

You are not considering of the source of atheism. Pride. There is no price on pride, it has been the downfall of Kings and paupers.
An atheist, it seems to me, is self perpetuating. If he/she is fortunate then he has himself to thank. If he has calamity its chance. All the universe's wonders are science, emotions are chemical, life merely amino acids reacting. When they die, they just cease to exist, no reward, but then no price to pay for their deeds either.
Faith on the other hand, has to survive trials. Its not very self serving on the surface, even though the atheist would say its a blanket passing of the buck.
How much money is atheism worth? Its priceless.

[harvey1]

Originally Posted by Irishcop

An atheist, it seems to me, is self perpetuating. If he/she is fortunate then he has himself to thank. If he has calamity its chance. All the universe's wonders are science, emotions are chemical, life merely amino acids reacting. When they die, they just cease to exist, no reward, but then no price to pay for their deeds either.

Perhaps some atheists. I think though it is better to treat atheists as complex human beings who have the same doubts and same hopes as theists. Obviously there are things that you were told by your parents/guardians that you do not believe in which your parents/guardians believed and maybe even thought you should believe. People are very complex as to how they come to their beliefs. Answering "pride" makes a nice small box to put things in, but I don't think it helps us to understand what really motivates people. If you don't know what motivates them, then it's difficult to understand them, hence it's easy to write off their efforts to understand the world.

[Irishcop]

Originally Posted by harvey1

Perhaps some atheists. I think though it is better to treat atheists as complex human beings who have the same doubts and same hopes as theists. Obviously there are things that you were told by your parents/guardians that you do not believe in which your parents/guardians believed and maybe even thought you should believe. People are very complex as to how they come to their beliefs. Answering "pride" makes a nice small box to put things in, but I don't think it helps us to understand what really motivates people. If you don't know what motivates them, then it's difficult to understand them, hence it's easy to write off their efforts to understand the world.

That's true, it was a small view of a complex concept. However, it was a small question.
I have made friendships with some very good people who are atheists. They are as complex as they are wonderful human beings. Perceptions causal to their conclusion is moot, and the end of the day.... When their life ends, they either have faith, or they don't. That is one condition that I think is black or white.
My point was this.... The common denominator is pride.

[boagie]

Christian defination--pride = intellectual integrity = sin?



Honk if you love Jesus!!

[Irishcop]

Originally Posted by boagie

Christian defination--pride = intellectual integrity = sin?



Honk if you love Jesus!!

I like to think I am an example, that "Christian" and "intellectual integrity" are not mutually exclusive terms.

[boagie]

Originally Posted by Irishcop

I like to think I am an example, that "Christian" and "intellectual integrity" are not mutually exclusive terms.

Irishcop,

From a non-believers perspective they indeed are mutually exclusive.Christianities totalitarian ambitions and attack upon reason itself should be proof to all but believers.This is not to say there are not wonderfully educated, intelligent Christians,it has more to do with character than intelligence or perhaps temperament.

[Irishcop]

Originally Posted by boagie

Irishcop,

From a non-believers perspective they indeed are mutually exclusive.Christianities totalitarian ambitions and attack unpon reason itself should be proof to all but believers.This is not to say there are not wonderfully educated, intelligent Christians,it has more to do with character than intelligence.

Indulge me on this, what is the basis for your believe that Christianity is totalitarian and that it is an attack on reason?
Totalitarianism is an ideology. does it really fit in a sequence like ...Fascism, Communism, Christianity, Despotism? Or whats wrong with this picture .... Pol Pot, Hitler, Jesus, Idi Amin, Stalin.
Christianity wants to spread like freedom, not like a blight.
An attack on reason, as you put it, changed the barbaric world, much for the better.