POLL: Is there a God ??

[mcnicKY91]

Didn't you just say you didn't do that? Geesh. You're not just a walking party foul you're scatterbrained as well. At least keep track of what you are claiming you do.

You said you are "called biblically" to call out the sin you see in others. Not all sin is fatal. Are you saying you only call out fatal sin and are substituting your own judgment in place of the bible? That's even worse. You think you are your own religion and are medically diagnosing people's sin to see whether or not it passes your medical exemption for sin calling out-ism.

How many alcoholics have you saved by telling them the errors of their ways, and sharing “the good news”?

Will definitely say you two are very good at testing one's patience. Has definitely been a good exercise for me.

With that being said, I would suggest you guys go back and re read what I said very closely.

Anyways, I am going to make a note in my phone to pray for you two specifically each night before I go to sleep. Will pray that God will open your eyes and show you your need for a Savior, because we all need one. Don't be surprised if that happens in your life. And if it does, I will rejoice to have another brother/sister in Christ. Go Cats!!

 

[SDC888]

I'd wager AA has helped a few more people..

yes

 

[Caveman Catfan]

I'd wager AA has helped a few more people..

Been to a A.A. meeting? If so, you know step 2 reads, “We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

 

[LOL_Man]

Anyways, I am going to make a note in my phone to pray for you two specifically each night before I go to sleep. Will pray that God will open your eyes and show you your need for a Savior, because we all need one. Don't be surprised if that happens in your life. And if it does, I will rejoice to have another brother/sister in Christ. Go Cats!!

OK, I'll bang a hooker for you just to even it out.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Been to a A.A. meeting? If so, you know step 2 reads, “We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

No I haven't, and are saying they're Christian based? Surely not.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

No I haven't, and are saying they're Christian based? Surely not.

I know they believe in you finding a higher power, but don’t tell people that power is God, as describe in the Bible. The one meeting I attended, the speaker for the evening talked about walking into a Catholic Church in Louisville and feeling “the Holy Spirit” fill him, which was the foundation for his recovery. His testimony was far more dramatic than I can provide.

A simple Google search revealed this:

Founders of AA were members of a Protestant Christian movement, the Oxford Group. Its members “practiced absolute surrender, guidance by the Holy Spirit, sharing in fellowship, life changing faith, and prayer. They aimed for absolute standards of Love, Purity, Honesty, and Unselfishness, which later became an integral part of A.A.”

 

[SDC888]

It would be counterproductive initially (likely) for them to explicitly say Christ.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Will definitely say you two are very good at testing one's patience. Has definitely been a good exercise for me.

With that being said, I would suggest you guys go back and re read what I said very closely.

Anyways, I am going to make a note in my phone to pray for you two specifically each night before I go to sleep. Will pray that God will open your eyes and show you your need for a Savior, because we all need one. Don't be surprised if that happens in your life. And if it does, I will rejoice to have another brother/sister in Christ. Go Cats!!

More often than not, when a xian tells a free-thinker, “I’ll pray for you!”, they have no intention of actually using their hotline to gawd to try and save a soul. But it is the perfect way to sound both condescending and self-righteous. Congrats!

 

[Caveman Catfan]

More often than not, when a xian tells a free-thinker, “I’ll pray for you!”, they have no intention of actually using their hotline to gawd to try and save a soul. But it is the perfect way to sound both condescending and self-righteous. Congrats!

You will appreciate this, then. I have prayed for you and your well-being a number of times.

 

[LOL_Man]

The height of arrogance and condescension. Bless their hearts.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

I know they believe in you finding a higher power, but don’t tell people that power is God, as describe in the Bible. The one meeting I attended, the speaker for the evening talked about walking into a Catholic Church in Louisville and feeling “the Holy Spirit” fill him, which was the foundation for his recovery. His testimony was far more dramatic than I can provide.

A simple Google search revealed this:

Founders of AA were members of a Protestant Christian movement, the Oxford Group. Its members “practiced absolute surrender, guidance by the Holy Spirit, sharing in fellowship, life changing faith, and prayer. They aimed for absolute standards of Love, Purity, Honesty, and Unselfishness, which later became an integral part of A.A.”

Interesting

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

AA and its 12 step program, which psychologists essentially universally agree is the best and most sustainable method for them if not the only that works, is about finding God.

Actually, it’s about acknowledging a “higher power”, not necessarily the xian god. I know of free-thinkers and atheists that have used the program with some success. And when discussions of God or higher power come up, they talk about the group as their higher power, and refer to the “Group Of Drunks” as their GOD.

 

[mcnicKY91]

More often than not, when a xian tells a free-thinker, “I’ll pray for you!”, they have no intention of actually using their hotline to gawd to try and save a soul. But it is the perfect way to sound both condescending and self-righteous. Congrats!

I have prayed for you and crashtestdummy frequently over the past 6 months. I came across you two in another thread about Jesus that was eventually locked, unfortunately. He was a staunch atheist as well.

But I am a man of my word. I have said I will pray daily for you. And I will, as well as lolman. God Bless!

 

[MidseasonTweak]

More often than not, when a xian tells a free-thinker, “I’ll pray for you!”, they have no intention of actually using their hotline to gawd to try and save a soul. But it is the perfect way to sound both condescending and self-righteous. Congrats!

As an exchristian who said shit like this, I was worse in that I never prayed for anyone I said that to. Maybe deep down I knew praying did nothing.

 

[LOL_Man]

I have prayed for you and crashtestdummy frequently over the past 6 months. I came across you two in another thread about Jesus that was eventually locked, unfortunately. He was a staunch atheist as well.

But I am a man of my word. I have said I will pray daily for you. And I will, as well as lolman. God Bless!

Well now I'm going to be self-conscious. I'll think every time something good happens you did it.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

… they talk about the group as their higher power, and refer to the “Group Of Drunks” as their GOD.

In the past, I worked with a lot of men and women in recovery. I have never heard that comment from any of them. So, it may be different depending on where you go. They talk about a higher power, and the people who find Christ say they are told to let others find their belief in a higher power. Not one ever told me about the “group of drunks” as their god.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

I have prayed for you and crashtestdummy frequently over the past 6 months. I came across you two in another thread about Jesus that was eventually locked, unfortunately. He was a staunch atheist as well.

But I am a man of my word. I have said I will pray daily for you. And I will, as well as lolman. God Bless!

So, if you really pray for me to realize I need a savior, your prayers aren’t working. Try praying harder maybe? Maybe squint really hard and furrow your brow. Put fingertips to your temples? That might get the job done.

And while you’re saying prayers for me, I could use a bag of premo weed. All my connections have dried up. You think your imaginary friend could hook me up? TIA.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

So, if you really pray for me to realize I need a savior, your prayers aren’t working. Try praying harder maybe? Maybe squint really hard and furrow your brow. Put fingertips to your temples? That might get the job done.

And while you’re saying prayers for me, I could use a bag of premo weed. All my connections have dried up. You think your imaginary friend could hook me up? TIA.

I think we should pray for anger management. 😯

 

[LOL_Man]

AA and religion are very similar. They are for people unable to cope and they need help with something beyond their control. With AA is is alcohol, with religion it is life.

I want my life in the strength of my own hands. I will rise and fall based upon what I can do without an imaginary assistant to be comforted by. I didn't have a blanket or a teddy bear that I leaned on as a child and I don't need a religion to lean on as an adult. I'm the captain of the ship and I accept full responsibility for what happens to me.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

AA and religion are very similar. They are for people unable to cope and they need help with something beyond their control. With AA is is alcohol, with religion it is life.

I want my life in the strength of my own hands. I will rise and fall based upon what I can do without an imaginary assistant to be comforted by. I didn't have a blanket or a teddy bear that I leaned on as a child and I don't need a religion to lean on as an adult. I'm the captain of the ship and I accept full responsibility for what happens to me.

For someone so secure, you need a lot of attention.

 

[mapcatfan]

Not sure I totally understand all your points, but my thoughts on prayer would be if parents are praying to a loving God for their to child to be saved and it suffers and dies, God’s answer would’ve been no. To me, that is mean, if not evil.
I struggle to understand how a loving God could do that. Throughout my upbringing, I was taught this situation is yet another mystery, but when good things happen, God is great to make (or allow) them to happen. As I moved along in my life, after much thought and reflection, I found that I could not reconcile
these situations, entered a period of spiritual sobriety and eventually lost my faith.

How do you know it’s not best for that child, in that very moment in time……..for her or him to go be with God through eternity? A child that has yet to sin has that guarantee.

God never promised us a pain-free, grief-free life on this earth. Quite the contrary. Mankind himself caused this situation when his own free-will chose disobedience that resulted in pain, trials, and death. However this God, that some here claim to be so mean and evil, gave HIS only son up as propitiation. Tell me - is it easier to offer up your own life or one of your children? For rebellious sinners at that!

God’s wisdom and His ways are not our ways.
But for believers, one thing we know for certain - He is righteous and just.

 

[mapcatfan]

……….. I didn't have a blanket or a teddy bear that I leaned on as a child and I don't need a religion to lean on as an adult. I'm the captain of the ship and I accept full responsibility for what happens to me.

As we all will.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

How do you know it’s not best for that child, in that very moment in time……..for her or him to go be with God through eternity? A child that has yet to sin has that guarantee.

God never promised us a pain-free, grief-free life on this earth. Quite the contrary. Mankind himself caused this situation when his own free-will chose disobedience that resulted in pain, trials, and death. However this God, that some here claim to be so mean and evil, gave HIS only son up as propitiation. Tell me - is it easier to offer up your own life or one of your children? For rebellious sinners at that!

God’s wisdom and His ways are not our ways.
But for believers, one thing we know for certain - He is righteous and just.

Why do the actions of Adam and Eve affect me. Not fair, God! I wasn't there after all. God sure is a confusing being, eh?

You're right about God's ways not being ours/mine. I would never impregnate a woman without consent or send an angel of death to kill the first born of some poor folk. Wickedly evil and cruel.

I'd never summon bears to maul children to death, either. Would you do these things?

 

[SDC888]

Actually, it’s about acknowledging a “higher power”, not necessarily the xian god. I know of free-thinkers and atheists that have used the program with some success. And when discussions of God or higher power come up, they talk about the group as their higher power, and refer to the “Group Of Drunks” as their GOD.

Being atheist doesn't make one a free thinker. Why wouldn't your atheist friends think/say that?

Ofcourse they would, oeherwise, they wouldn't be atheist. Good on them that's what they used to recover.

 

[SDC888]

AA and religion are very similar. They are for people unable to cope and they need help with something beyond their control. With AA is is alcohol, with religion it is life.

That isn't true.

Well, maybe for religion, but not Christ.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Why do the actions of Adam and Eve affect me. Not fair, God! I wasn't there after all. God sure is a confusing being, eh?

You're right about God's ways not being ours/mine. I would never impregnate a woman without consent or send an angel of death to kill the first born of some poor folk. Wickedly evil and cruel.

I'd never summon bears to maul children to death, either. Would you do these things?

Have you read the Bible, because you make a lot of comments that suggest you never have.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Have you read the Bible, because you make a lot of comments that suggest you never have.

What I said is all in the Bible. Care to point out what isn't?

 

[Caveman Catfan]

What I said is all in the Bible. Care to point out what isn't?

Care to answer my question?

 

[mapcatfan]

Why do the actions of Adam and Eve affect me. Not fair, God! I wasn't there after all. God sure is a confusing being, eh?

You're right about God's ways not being ours/mine. I would never impregnate a woman without consent or send an angel of death to kill the first born of some poor folk. Wickedly evil and cruel.

I'd never summon bears to maul children to death, either. Would you do these things?

Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, yes. But NO ONE will be condemned for eternity because of Adam and Eve’s sin. Through God’s grace, it’s solely up to every individual where they will spend eternity.

You confuse the acts of God with the acts of Satan.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, yes. But NO ONE will be condemned for eternity because of Adam and Eve’s sin. Through God’s grace, it’s solely up to every individual where they will spend eternity.

You confuse the acts of God with the acts of the Satan.

An apple was bitten and I'm directly affected by it. God didn't have to care that badly, but he chose to

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Care to answer my question?

Yes, I've read the Bible. Hence why I brought up things that are in the Bible.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Yes, I've read the Bible. Hence why I brought up things that are in the Bible.

Well, you make comments that suggest you have not read the Bible, like you were told by someone what was in the Bible. You don’t understand Genesis, yet you post as if you do. You suggest that Mary did not give consent. It’s just more than a little childish. I know there are mature atheists, but it’s difficult to find them on a message board. My fault for looking, no doubt. Most of the vociferous atheists on this board act like they are scripture scholars. Be an atheist, but quit pretending you have some sort of expertise in scripture. You don’t.

 

[mapcatfan]

An apple was bitten and I'm directly affected by it. God didn't have to care that badly, but he chose to

Well yes, a fruit was eaten. 😊

God didn’t create a bunch of robots that had no choice but to love and obey Him. What’s the point in that? He gave us free-will. And if we choose to love Him, obey Him, and live wisely, eternity with Him will be our reward.

 

[HymanKaplan]

My experience has been that reading the Bible and golf scores are both grossly exaggerated.
A studied reading of the Bible is a time-consuming task, and one that even most Christians have probably not ACTUALLY undertaken. IMO. It's hard for me to believe, therefore, that someone that doesn't believe in God would even bother to do it.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Well, you make comments that suggest you have not read the Bible, like you were told by someone what was in the Bible. You don’t understand Genesis, yet you post as if you do. You suggest that Mary did not give consent. It’s just more than a little childish. I know there are mature atheists, but it’s difficult to find them on a message board. My fault for looking, no doubt. Most of the vociferous atheists on this board act like they are scripture scholars. Be an atheist, but quit pretending you have some sort of expertise in scripture. You don’t.

You're rambling again.

Would you personally send someone around town to murder the first born of random families because someone wasn't doing what you wanted them to do?

 

[Caveman Catfan]

You're rambling again.

Rather, I struck a nerve of truth. And, you know it.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Midseason - Charlton Heston didn't order that. He was just telling Yul Brenner what God was going to do.
The blood of those children was on Yul's hands, because he chose to ignore the more MILD warnings that preceded it.

Go back and watch the movie, or as you describe it, "reading the Bible"

 

[CUJO_1970]

I'd never summon bears to maul children to death, either. Would you do these things?

10 year old Adolph Hitler is walking in the forest. You have the ability to summon a bear to maul little Adolph to death.

Would you do this thing?

What if the Nazi's went through the town you lived in and killed your firstborn son, and the firstborn sons of every person you knew and every firstborn male child in the city you lived in?

Would you do the same to the Nazis if by doing so you could free everyone in the city and rid yourself of Nazi tyranny?

 

[MidseasonTweak]

10 year old Adolph Hitler is walking in the forest. You have the ability to summon a bear to maul little Adolph to death.

Would you do this thing?

What if the Nazi's went through the town you lived in and killed your firstborn son, and the firstborn sons of every person you knew and every firstborn male child in the city you lived in?

Would you do the same to the Nazis if by doing so you could free everyone in the city and rid yourself of Nazi tyranny?

You understand exactly what I mean.

In the examples of God doing it, it was to innocent families in Egypt and the mauling of children was because they made fun of one of God's minions.

A bit different than the scenarios you brought up.

 

[CUJO_1970]

AA and religion are very similar. They are for people unable to cope

lol, didn't you just accuse someone else of displaying "The height of arrogance and condescension"

Ironic, don't you think?