It is funny that the way we try to make sense of the things we can’t possibly understand are the things we fight over the most. Completely illogical. Maybe people just can’t admit they have no efffing idea.
POLL: Is there a God ??
- Thread starter megablue
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It is funny that the way we try to make sense of the things we can’t possibly understand are the things we fight over the most. Completely illogical. Maybe people just can’t admit they have no efffing idea.
From my personal experience it’s way more of the opposite, but I’m sure since you know it happened once it’s the majority of Christian experience?
You don’t think that churches in general do more kindness and action than random non believers? Did you and your buddies get together and build wells in Africa? Do you all get together and donate thousands weekly towards good acts and spreading kindness around your community out of the goodness of your heart?
Yeah I doubt you did. Damn those churches though for doing that and bringing people together for an hour or two a week to speak about goodness and hug each other, we definitely need less of that.
You realize there are tons of non-religious affiliated charities out there, yes?
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
I never said it happened once. I said several. And, yes, it happens way too often.
If good deeds and charitable giving is all you’re after, you could be member of Hell’s Angels motorcycle club and get the same result.
I say damn those churches for their centuries-long record of criminal activity, abuse, torture, intellectual suppression, murder, child molestation, sexual misconduct, and cover ups. We certainly need less of that! And if people stopped supporting that financially, we would get less of that.
You could say the same for govts couldn’t you?
And yes there are plenty of charities but do they get thousands of people together every week to share time and brotherhood together for the benefit of the community?
Also, a LOT of those “charities” takes the majority of the money and keep it. I’d prefer to know where my money OSS going versus making someone wealthier off of my giving.
And yes there are plenty of charities but do they get thousands of people together every week to share time and brotherhood together for the benefit of the community?
Also, a LOT of those “charities” takes the majority of the money and keep it. I’d prefer to know where my money OSS going versus making someone wealthier off of my giving.
If I lived in Ohio like an idiot I wouldn’t believe in god either, that’s on your bro.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
100% but think of the thousands that have and have done public service with donations. What a terrible thing.
I don’t get why you think churches are “bad” nowadays. If you’re bringing up the churches from the medieval times well sorry about that it was 500 years ago and I didn’t participate in them. You might as well bring up my role in slavery while you’re at it.
-athiests, vegans and crossfit dorks...are far more evangelical than 95% of the xtians I've met.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/southern-baptist-convention-sexual-abuse.html
No need to go back 500 years for criminal activity and coverup by large churches. We can go back to….say…2022.
No need to go back 500 years for criminal activity and coverup by large churches. We can go back to….say…2022.
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I do believe, but it's definitely faith not reason. If I turn off my brain I can believe. But the more I think about it the more unlikely it all seems. And just because the universe was created doesn't mean there is a God. And even if it was a God, it doesn't mean that it is that God.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
That was not just a few rogue people. That was systemic criminal activity and coverup by an organization. Accusers were met with hostility. Perpetrators were protected. The church kept a list with names of over 700 of the accused. The list was kept under wraps. Oh, sure, 700 might pale in comparison to the tens of thousands of pedophiles that were protected by the Catholic Church. But still. I would hope that most rational people that found out that a club they were a member of, and had supported financially, was harboring 700 people that were credibly accused of all forms of sexual misconduct, that they would leave that club immediately. But, nope!
Another of the many reasons I find organized religion harmful.
I believe based on reason.
I have faith (which is derived from the latin in fide, in trust), and it is definitely based on evidence.
I have complete confidence (from the latin con fide, with trust) that my trust in Him is well placed.
I have faith (which is derived from the latin in fide, in trust), and it is definitely based on evidence.
I have complete confidence (from the latin con fide, with trust) that my trust in Him is well placed.
Faith: "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof."
My Catholic school in 7th grade started teaching us that a lot of the Old Testament was parables. My parents did not like it and pulled me from the school. But that is a slippery slope. So what is a parable and what is real? They then put me in a Christian school where I was bullied lol.
Ok, that's a webster defnition... but I have proof in my life and it stengthens my faith.
For me, my (firm and unshakeable) faith and reason/evidence are inextricably intertwined and interdependent. For you, those concepts are incompatible.
Faith and reason are certaintly not mutually exclusive, like you people seem to believe.
His existence is not provable from one person to another by experiment or argument. And no, I never found something in my pocket that I though wasn't there and found it "proof" or had a near death experience or antyhing like that.
The very definition of faith implies a lack of proof. I am certainly not belittling anyone with faith. But the mind can do amazing things, so things like "my life was transformed" is not proof.
That’s not evidence. I’m not judging you or your faith. Just your use of the word evidence.
So you are choosing to define what the word evidence means to fit your feelings. It doesn’t work like that.
I'm not re-defining anything, no.
My life evidences it to me, clearly and unequivocally, which is a daily strengthening of belief, of faith (trust). I have no reservations and am without doubt.
What doesn't work like that? Debate? I only make bona fide (in good faith) arguments, not mal fide (bad faith) arguments, as is common on the interent and in modern discourse in general, seemingly. I'm not playing with words, and I mean precisely what I say when I say my faith is reason and evidence based. Of course it is. However, His existence is not provable from one person to another via argument or experiment, as I already said, which is what I gather you (pl) meant.
Some of you are psychos. Just let Christian’s have their day. Why the touch do you care? It’s not harming you.
I don't mean "my life was transformed" either, at least in the sense you likely do, like I went through some rock-bottom struggle and then came out the other side changed.
Though certainly it is true, my life is not the same before as it was/is after.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
No.
So if that is the only way you can "know" something, through materialistic reductivist means, then no, you won't know.
Which is where I disagreed with Francis Collins there earlier by the way. For him the evidence was overwhelming, but insufficient.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
Because it’s a forum for discussion? And because the topic of this thread is “Is There A God?”?
So we’re discussing whether or not there’s a god.
Doing something for a perceived reward is easy. If believing in God and doing the right thing made you go to hell, would you still do it?
For me, reward never entered/enters the calculation. Nevertheless, it's indeed an inevitable result.
The hypothetical is nonsensical though because believing in God, and therefore doing the right thing, creates a closeness with Him, whereas being sent to hell is eternal separation from Him.
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