Posted on 01/26/2005 9:46:21 AM PST by 7thson
When I pulled into the parking lot this morning, I saw a car covered with sacrilegious bumper stickers. It seemed obvious to me that the owner was craving attention. I’m sure he was also seeking to elicit anger from people of faith. The anger helps the atheist to justify his atheism. And, all too often, the atheist gets exactly what he is looking for.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
MM was a Believer ask him he was very much part of a Church
he CHOSE to give GOD up the worst Sin of all.>>>>>
And only God knows MM's heart.
Not you nor I.
Not for us to judge.
Yes he does but if someone denies him they will also be denied
GOD is a just GOD.
You sound angry.
That is a Wishy Washy Statement.
GOD does punish Sin and we are not to embrace Sin
I agree. One is better for challenging their faith. Sadly, most blindly follow. My experience has taught me that faith is something to be renewed through meditation, prayer, deeds etc. It is not something "routine" to me. Complacency kills both the spirit and the body.
Would it be more accurate to say that it upsets you that Mineral Man doesn't believe in someone that you feel tremendous awe and respect for?
MM said he is going to turn to dirt forever upon his Physical Death he said that..And if his loved ones die and are with the Lord and he's not he will be forgotten because he chose his own path.
Ok, then that's his problem, isn't it?
Nothing wishy washy about it.
I don't know the particulars of the innermost workings of Mineral Man's mind and why he chose to leave the church.
God does.
You don't.
God is about LOVE not punishment.
Nowhere in the gospels do we find Jesus hating anyone for anything -- instead, we find him forgiving everyone, even his executioners
Thanks for playing
I can't do that, Missy. He has not chosen to discuss that part of his life with me personally, so it wouldn't be right for me to question him about it.
Actually, Huston Smith and I agree in many areas. I, too, believe that religion has been a powerful force for good in the world.
He still believes, in a way, although it's interesting to read his words and try to figure out what it is, exactly, that he believes. I'm not certain he knows, himself, but I'd like a chance to talk to him for a couple of hours, now that I'm no longer 20 years old like I was the last time I spoke to him.
He presents a real dilemma for the traditional Christian. He seems to be a poly-religionist, believing in religion, but not necessarily in a particular one.
I understand that, and was in basically that position for a number of years, flirting with several different religious systems. Unlike him, however, I finally accepted the concept that, while religion is a very important part of our social construct, all religions are essentially the same. Just the names have been changed, to protect the unwary, if you will.
Christianity is a well-evolved religion, which simplifies the process of dealing with the entire post-death business about as far as is possible.
Rather like the English language, which has evolved to eliminate things like gender, case, and most tenses, Christianity has evolved to eliminate long, tedious lists of rituals and complex societal rules. Both have simplified their respective constructs to the point that one needn't concern oneself with complexity.
English is evolving today, moving toward eliminated agreement in number between noun and verb. Christianity, however, doesn't seem to be able to simplify itself further. Indeed, it has grown more and more fragmented.
Still, there is an enormous appeal to a religion that deals with the after-death question so simply. By having a symbolic entity which died to expiate all the sins of mankind, simple belief is all that's needed to avoid the ever-present eternal punishment business, all that bother of multiple reincarnations, and the like. Believe and you're done, essentially. In that, it's an amazing construct. It didn't do so well in Israel at its creation, but it was a big hit in Rome and Greece, where the panoply of deities was getting tedious.
It seemed to catch on in Europe, where it must have been wonderful to give up on the impossible task of satisfying all those demanding Norse and Germanic deities. You could accept the Christian construct, then go on about your business. What a boon! Indeed, the liberation from the tedium of a polytheistic religion may well have enabled the explosion of scientific and artistic growth in Europe, leading the West into a dominant position in the world.
Just my musings...others may have differing ideas.
"Yes he does but if someone denies him they will also be denied
GOD is a just GOD."
Oh, missyme...why do I have this image of you up on a cloud giggling while I burn in Hell?
Ok, then that's his problem, isn't it?
EXACTLY..
He chose that not me, if I had my choice for him I would hope that he would want to be with the Lord and his loved ones..My whole point of conversing with MM and the other Atheists on this thread is that they deny GOD out of a personal choice not because they have some solid proof that after a physical death the end up as a patch of dirt for eternity.
And yes I do think it's an insult to GOD ALMIGHTY that he would create human life so that they could end up as Dirt for eternity. All the aborted babies they have no meaning? just a dunch of dirt and ashes because they were not born?
MM I am sure is a wonderful person but his denying GOD who created him is shameful
"He has not chosen to discuss that part of his life with me personally, so it wouldn't be right for me to question him about it.
"
Well, I seem to be doing just that as the thread continues. Some of the story is just below your message. It's not dramatic, really, just a slow process of expanding my knowlege over many, many years. I guess I just can't help myself...[grin]
Christianity is a well-evolved religion, which simplifies the process of dealing with the entire post-death business about as far as is possible.
Rather like the English language, which has evolved to eliminate things like gender, case, and most tenses, Christianity has evolved to eliminate long, tedious lists of rituals and complex societal rules. Both have simplified their respective constructs to the point that one needn't concern oneself with complexity. >>>>>
Well I come from a long line of Quakers.
(No I wouldnt consider myself one at present)
Christianity to them was finding an inner light and letting it shine forth.
Very pure and ahead of its time.
Since you cannot make yourself disbelieve, how do you figure that an atheist can make himself believe?
That hurt my feelings that you think I would giggle if you burn in hell, what hurts me is that you knew GOD and gave him up.
I stick up for people I love and adore and GOD ALmighty is the first one on my list...
Yeah I have the same image going on.
Of course Missyme is completely offbase.
Only insecure control freak fundies like to relish the thought of others suffering.
I find it interesting that Jesus rebuked Thomas for his doubt but wound up providing the evidence that thomas required. There are lots of interpretations concerning the need for faith. I have faith that curiosity and skepticism are not mortal sins.
I stick up for people I love and adore and GOD ALmighty is the first one on my list...>>>>
God's not a person persay.
And we're to love one another, not just the ones whom are easy to love.
"Well I come from a long line of Quakers.
(No I wouldnt consider myself one at present)
Christianity to them was finding an inner light and letting it shine forth.
"
I never met a practicing Quaker I didn't like. Never. As far as Christian denominations go, it seems closest to the actual teachings of Jesus, as recorded in the gospels, Matthew in particular.
I've always found it fascinating that so many denominations take their texts for services from the writings of Paul, rather than from the gospels. You can pretty much count on hearing a reading from one of his epistles on any Sunday other than Easter and around Christmas.
That's OK, but such denominations seem more Paulist than Christian to me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.