Posted on 09/06/2023 8:43:08 AM PDT by Qiviut
JP: "In this video I share how my views on God and religion have changed over time."
“Are TexasGator and IrishBrigade the same person? TexasGator has answered twice for Irish Brigade and IrishBrigade hasn’t responded once.”
Why don’t you answer questions instead making personal attacks?
I liked what JP had to say. Especially the part about throwing the baby out with the bath water. I had that same thought for a time. I stopped going to church, but I prayed every day, and read the Bible still. Finally, it seemed apparent to me that returning to church was the right thing to do. So glad I did.
Have noticed JP’s message seems to be getting more thoughtful and less skeptical over the last few years. This video explains why, in my mind.
“Why don’t you answer questions instead making personal attacks?”
I answered your single question (prior to his one) you seem to have imagined as more than one. Though you didn’t appreciate my answer, it was my answer nonetheless and it was not a personal attack.
‘So you’ve considered that the “concept of divinity” is handed down but where does your idea of what is plausible or not come from?’
addressing the ‘concept of divinity’, I find it implausible because I do not accept the existence of the supernatural, or, alternately put, if it does exist, I reject that it has any effect on the natural world;that being the world we can see and experience with our senses...further, I note there hae been roughly 4500 differing deities recorded throughout history; American Protestants alone tally more than a dozen denominations, with widely differing theologies about how to properly worship the same godhead. This tells me that people are hardwired to seek supernatural explanations for what they cannot comprehend, and from that I draw the conclusion that man creates the god or gods that will fit a needed social construct, and then carries that forward for the progeny...
for me, plausability carries with a probing context, which seeks to reconcile sensate observations with explanations that accord with the senses; it makes no claim for certainty, nor do I...of course I cannot prove that no god or gods exist, just as I cannot prove the combination of natural forces that created existence; I rest my ‘plausability’ on the belief that no social conscience guides the earth in its daily jaunt around the sun, the searing harshness of the natural world convinces me of that...
I have always like J. P. Sears’ send ups of the woke leftist airheads but I like the Faith in God J. P. even more.
‘Sucks to be you.’
indeed; imagine the crass idiocy of holding a different opinion than you...
The church has gone gay. its leader, the pope, promotes everything except the gospel. I have never heard that guy say a word promoting religion. But he enjoys washing muslim’s feet!!
I stopped believing decades ago because I've never witnessed anything that even came close to a sign. but I have witnessed 100,000 times more signs there is no divine spirit in any sense of the word...
“I answered your single question (prior to his one) you seem to have imagined as more than one. Though you didn’t appreciate my answer, it was my answer nonetheless and it was not a personal attack.”
Words have meaning. You made a snarky reply. You did not answer my question.
And you attacked him with your response to him and attacked me me and him in your previous.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
LOL that about sums it up.
‘That’s so sad for you.’
I don’t find it saddening at all; it is an opinion I’ve formed through thorough questioning and attempting to find answers...I do not feel’liberated’, as some skeptics have said at rejecting religion, because I didn’t approach it seeking freedom from anything, but at the same time I do not feel distress from it either...
at any rate, I can appreciate your opinion of me; I am glad you have not denigrated me as some would be only to happy to do...
“if it does exist, I reject that it has any effect on the natural world”
Ah. But that’s a position of faith. You don’t know it to be true, you just prefer to believe that to the alternative, which is to either admit the possibility or at least be agnostic about it and say “I don’t know”.
“This tells me that people are hardwired to seek supernatural explanations for what they cannot comprehend, and from that I draw the conclusion that man creates the god or gods that will fit a needed social construct”
Perhaps, but I could say “Scientists have constructed thousands of hypotheses, many which contradict each other. This leads me to believe that humans are hardwired to seek natural explanations, etc”. It’s not a very strong argument, I think, since you can apply it to nearly any human pursuit; thousands of ideas on how to form a government, or run a business, or raise a child, etc. The existence of differing opinions doesn’t mean that there isn’t an underlying truth or mean that one of those opinions might not actually be correct.
“just as I cannot prove the combination of natural forces that created existence”
Ah, but even this speculation is a scientific impossibility. “Natural” forces could not create existence, since they would be a part of that same existence. A thing cannot create itself.
“I rest my ‘plausability’ on the belief that no social conscience guides the earth in its daily jaunt around the sun, the searing harshness of the natural world convinces me of that...”
That’s just anthropomorphism. If there were a deity, there’s no reason to assume it would think or act like you would expect it to, so a real skeptic shouldn’t jump to such conclusions.
That’s OK because GOD hasn’t changed his mind about you! Talk to him some time he is always ready to listen.
“Ah, but even this speculation is a scientific impossibility. “Natural” forces could not create existence, since they would be a part of that same existence. A thing cannot create itself.”
What did God do before he created out Universe? Did God create our Universe out of nothing?
Your problem is your ‘concept of divinity’. God inhabits the praises of His people. Learn to thank Him for all His blessings in your life. It’s relationship with Him and not just purely cerebral theological concepts especially those steeped in skepticism and unbelief.
‘But that’s a position of faith.’
I stated it a a belief; all beliefs rely on internal impulses for philosophical support, otherwise there would be no abstract thought at all...your statement is a non sequetur...
‘The existence of differing opinions doesn’t mean that there isn’t an underlying truth or mean that one of those opinions might not actually be correct’
I explicitly stated that my plausability does not derive from certainty; I cannot explain existence, either from a religious view or natural...I said nothing whatsoever about being ‘correct...’
‘A thing cannot create itself.’
except your god, apparantly; if you believe that God is a thing, than how do you explain it’s existence, if not created by some other thing as per your viewpoint...you might answer that God is eternal, I can answer likewise with natural forces...
‘If there were a deity, there’s no reason to assume it would think or act like you would expect it to’
does that statement not negate the entire validity of divining a god in the first place, that of seeking to bring order, harmony and meaning to life...? the Bible expends thousands of words in telling us what God thinks and does and how He expects us to act; do you think the authors thought God would not react to their actions as they would have expected him to in return...?
‘Talk to him some time he is always ready to listen.’
I appreciate your viewpoint, and truly do thank you for your advice...
” Learn to thank Him for all His blessings in your life.”
Should we blame Him for all our troubles?
—————37 dead-—————
“Intervention from God” saves baby in deadly Russian cargo plane crash
https://thehornnews.com/intervention-from-god-saves-baby-in-deadly-russian-cargo-plane-crash/
Ditto
Well then you best not start reading the Bible (Blessed
Intervention Begetting Life Everlasting) there are quite
a few parts where folks do find it very much implausible.
On the other hand what do you have to lose? Required
reading in my 17th year and found God’s own words to
be compelling enough. Although I had spent all prior
years finding fault with Catholics (required) and even,
gasp, Protestants (acquired family and friends)!
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