Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Witnessing this argument was absolutely cringe-worthy. I hope you guys realize that others stumble upon this stuff on Search Engines looking for answers, and I'm sorry to say, those of you calling names and putting the other down just for not having your beliefs makes what you believe in look unappealing.
I just saw some people calmly explain the difference between two definitions (accurately) and get called "an empty vessel." What the heck?
Many years ago, a large portion of the world believed the world was flat. To say "Most people believe it. It must be true!" is called "argument ad populum." It's a fallacy and now you see WHY. (I hope.)
It's ok if you believe in whatever Deity you wish. My only question is, why do you get angry when other people ALSO believe in equally "irrational" beliefs, like Goddesses, Hob-goblins, Fairies, Elves, Dragons, Buddha, etc... You think not? They're out there. They have testimonies and even ancient books that predate your own. I've traveled the world and seen a great many kinds of people who avoid sharing their beliefs in order to avoid ridicule (from Christians!) Consider Atheism a taste of your own medicine. Indeed, it IS growing. The same way Christianity was growing when it was merely the minority. So what?
Mind you, I'm not an Atheist. I'm just explaining why Faith itself is hypocritically dismissed by those defending it. If I was to have faith in a Goddess (using a female here as an example, since the bible is notorious for belittling females. lol) you would probably pity me and think me "deluded." So you see? "FAITH" itself, is inconsistent. Unless of course, it is YOUR religion.
When Muslims are convinced that their religion is the TRUE religion because the bible specifically says that the world belongs to "Satan," that gives them reason to believe why their population is so small and poor while Christians indulge in fancy Churches, organizations, etc. Christians? So long as you have the upper hand, you ignore that verse or don't apply it to the Power the Christian church has over the world and people's views... you see that as "Yahweh's Strength." But it's inconsistent.
Either way, I just came in to toss my own two cents cause it annoyed me to see people get trashed just cause they don't share your beliefs. (Actually, it's worse, they only sharing FACTS.) lol!
So much for that. And this is why I'm definitely not a Christian.
Witnessing this argument was absolutely cringe-worthy. I hope you guys realize that others stumble upon this stuff on Search Engines looking for answers, and I'm sorry to say, those of you calling names and putting the other down just for not having your beliefs makes what you believe in look unappealing.
I just saw some people calmly explain the difference between two definitions (accurately) and get called "an empty vessel." What the heck?
Many years ago, a large portion of the world believed the world was flat. To say "Most people believe it. It must be true!" is called "argument ad populum." It's a fallacy and now you see WHY. (I hope.)
It's ok if you believe in whatever Deity you wish. My only question is, why do you get angry when other people ALSO believe in equally "irrational" beliefs, like Goddesses, Hob-goblins, Fairies, Elves, Dragons, Buddha, etc... You think not? They're out there. They have testimonies and even ancient books that predate your own. I've traveled the world and seen a great many kinds of people who avoid sharing their beliefs in order to avoid ridicule (from Christians!) Consider Atheism a taste of your own medicine. Indeed, it IS growing. The same way Christianity was growing when it was merely the minority. So what?
Mind you, I'm not an Atheist. I'm just explaining why Faith itself is hypocritically dismissed by those defending it. If I was to have faith in a Goddess (using a female here as an example, since the bible is notorious for belittling females. lol) you would probably pity me and think me "deluded." So you see? "FAITH" itself, is inconsistent. Unless of course, it is YOUR religion.
When Muslims are convinced that their religion is the TRUE religion because the bible specifically says that the world belongs to "Satan," that gives them reason to believe why their population is so small and poor while Christians indulge in fancy Churches, organizations, etc. Christians? So long as you have the upper hand, you ignore that verse or don't apply it to the Power the Christian church has over the world and people's views... you see that as "Yahweh's Strength." But it's inconsistent.
Either way, I just came in to toss my own two cents cause it annoyed me to see people get trashed just cause they don't share your beliefs. (Actually, it's worse, they only sharing FACTS.) lol!
So much for that. And this is why I'm definitely not a Christian.
So, if you are not an atheist, which god DO you believe in?
If the "Big Bang Theory" was/is a proven fact, then these types of threads would not exist any more.
The same can be said for the OP. If he was a proven fact, again, these threads would not exist.
Neither can be proven to be 100% factual. All just personal "Beliefs"
Believe in what you want, and stop bothering people about what they believe in, and stop worrying about people who believe in something you do not. (Even non-believers - well, believe in something, even if it's different than what believers, er - believe in)
I for one long for the day of either the Big Bang Theory being proven factual or the big guy makes his return, so this stuff can be put-to-rest.
Both arguments have killed entirely to many people, and for nothing more than P.M.S (Power, Money, Sex)
What sealed it for me is the day back in '73' A.D. I read Romans 4 how the apostle Paul uses Abraham believing God (that he would have a son even when it was impossible for him to have one) and that his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. Then Paul continues to the end of Chapter 4 how it is that when we believe God concerning His Son dying for us that we are righteous, justified. No, it isn't based on feelings but rather faith. To me God is just believable. So I said, O.K. God, if You say Christ died for my sins, I'm going to take You at Your word even if it doesn't make a lick of sense. I was on a sandy hill behind my mom and dad's under a starry sky. Once my eyes were opened to this I went hop skip and jumping down the hill laughing all the way filled with increddible joy. If you knew what I'd been through prior to this you'd see why I was so happy.
What sealed it for me is the day back in '73' A.D. I read Romans 4 how the apostle Paul uses Abraham believing God (that he would have a son even when it was impossible for him to have one) and that his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. Then Paul continues to the end of Chapter 4 how it is that when we believe God concerning His Son dying for us that we are righteous, justified. No, it isn't based on feelings but rather faith. To me God is just believable. So I said, O.K. God, if You say Christ died for my sins, I'm going to take You at Your word even if it doesn't make a lick of sense. I was on a sandy hill behind my mom and dad's under a starry sky. Once my eyes were opened to this I went hop skip and jumping down the hill laughing all the way filled with increddible joy. If you knew what I'd been through prior to this you'd see why I was so happy.
There's a theory that Ole Abe's son was actually a "grudge baby".
Wow, this is an old thread. I was once a believer. I had faith. I felt that God was there. I experienced the joy and hope that comes from believing that I would be redeemed through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. I believed I had an intimate, personal relationship with God that transformed me. I talked to God all of the time through prayer and believed that he spoke to me through insights and thoughts he gave me. I interpreted many life events as God's intervention. I read the scriptures, which I believed to be the word of God daily. I really felt I knew God and he knew me. I felt the warmth in my chest and compassion for all humankind.
I say all of that to convey that I really did believe thoroughly in God, and I was certain he exists and that I had a personal relationship with him just as real as the relationship I had with anyone, except that God knew me better because he knew my inner thoughts and desires.
I get it. I do. I know what its like to be a believer. And yet, I am no longer a believer. That is not a sad thing though; I see it as an accomplishment. None of those things, not a single one actually indicate that a god exists. You have to want to believe that they indicate that for them to be seen at all as convincing to you. Once I had compelling reason to doubt, none of these experiences were sufficient to stop that doubt. None provide a firm foundation. The scriptures really could just be the words of men as every other "holy" book is. When I really searched my inner self, I found that it was entirely possible that that "personal relationship I had with God" was entirely created by my own mind. It was possible that when I thought I felt him there, it was nothing more than me interpreting my own brain-produced feelings as sensing a god was there. And those insights and thoughts I had, could have been produced by my own brain. And my faith could be nothing more than my misplaced desire to believe.
Once I established that none of it was truly evidence of god, I had two possible interpretations for those experiences and scriptures, etc. One, there really was a god, who I really had a personal relationship with, and who really did inspire the words to be written in the scriptures; or two, god was likely a figment of human imagination. I had my reasons for coming to the eventual conclusion I came to, but basically, what seems most likely to me is, although it is possible there might be a god of some sort somewhere, I really believe all of the so called "interactions with God" humans have ever claimed to have had are most likely imaginings and misinterpretations.
I don't expect to change anyone's mind with what I've said. I haven't gone into all of my reasons for why I think that is most likely to be true. All I am saying is that what can appear to a believer to be solid evidence for them that god exists, someone else can have similar experiences and not find those things to be as convincing as many believers think it is.
Wow, this is an old thread. I was once a believer. I had faith. I felt that God was there. I experienced the joy and hope that comes from believing that I would be redeemed through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. I believed I had an intimate, personal relationship with God that transformed me. I talked to God all of the time through prayer and believed that he spoke to me through insights and thoughts he gave me. I interpreted many life events as God's intervention. I read the scriptures, which I believed to be the word of God daily. I really felt I knew God and he knew me. I felt the warmth in my chest and compassion for all humankind.
I wonder if you would believe in God if you saw Jesus raising people from the dead? and Peter raising a girl from the dead? or talked to the people that came out of their tombs and walked the streets of Jerusalem?
It is one thing to believe God exists and quite another to believe what His Son did for you. Eventually all will see it and rejoice. Until then, God does not hold this reticence against you in any way, shape or form. Possibly He will grant faith. Maybe not. But He will grant sight.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
