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Author
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Topic: Why is belief necessary?
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RustyShackelford 
Inactive Member
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Message 6 of 94 (155669)
11-04-2004 12:23 AM
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Reply to: Message 4 by Morte
11-03-2004 10:50 PM
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Re: You actually have at least three question buried in there.
Well, obviously. What I meant was to question why belief is necessary for salvation, not for the religion itself. Is belief that your wife loves you necessary for your relationship to work?
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 4 by Morte, posted 11-03-2004 10:50 PM | | Morte has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 7 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 12:46 AM | | RustyShackelford has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 9 of 94 (155685)
11-04-2004 1:27 AM
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Reply to: Message 7 by Morte
11-04-2004 12:46 AM
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Re: Unconditional love?
what I'm asking is why a loving God would do this when all signs, to a mind like my own, seem to point to his nonexistence. To my mind, its exactly the opposite........so, maybe we're all just seeing what we want to see.......and, in your case, you WANT to disbelieve.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 7 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 12:46 AM | | Morte has not replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 11 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 1:33 AM | | RustyShackelford has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 10 of 94 (155686)
11-04-2004 1:30 AM
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Reply to: Message 8 by Morte
11-04-2004 1:10 AM
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Re: ...Just save yourself some time and skip to the last paragraph.
However (and here's the part that most people find doesn't make sense to them), I believe that there is an afterlife of some form (whether it be another world/reincarnation, I don't know), perhaps simply because I cannot imagine ceasing to exist. This statement points to my general feeling toward people who say they CAN'T believe.........I believe a person CAN believe anything he chooses to (as the above demonstrates).........
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 8 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 1:10 AM | | Morte has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 17 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 1:49 AM | | RustyShackelford has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 12 of 94 (155689)
11-04-2004 1:37 AM
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Reply to: Message 11 by crashfrog
11-04-2004 1:33 AM
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Many different reasons.......and you guys seem happy as clams being atheists, and find it highly disturbing when your beliefs are questioned, so it's pretty obvious that a lot of people want to be atheists..........
"Atheists are just like theists; they find it highly disturbing when you try to weaken their faith." Myself, a couple minutes ago
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 11 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 1:33 AM | | crashfrog has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 16 of 94 (155695)
11-04-2004 1:48 AM
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Reply to: Message 14 by Gilgamesh
11-04-2004 1:44 AM
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Check the signature.
"Atheists are just like theists; they find it highly disturbing when you try to weaken their faith." Myself, a couple minutes ago
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 14 by Gilgamesh, posted 11-04-2004 1:44 AM | | Gilgamesh has not replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 18 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 1:51 AM | | RustyShackelford has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 20 of 94 (155704)
11-04-2004 2:00 AM
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Reply to: Message 17 by Morte
11-04-2004 1:49 AM
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Re: ...Just save yourself some time and skip to the last paragraph.
Not really - I simply cannot comprehend the idea of nonexistence. I don't believe this. There was a point in time, prior to a few years ago, that you DIDN'T exist.........so you know that it's possible for you to not exist. You can also get an idea of what non-existance is like every time you fall into dreamless sleep........
Seriously, it's not that I want to I'm pretty sure you directly stated the contrary in your first post.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 17 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 1:49 AM | | Morte has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 21 of 94 (155705)
11-04-2004 2:02 AM
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Reply to: Message 18 by crashfrog
11-04-2004 1:51 AM
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Isn't it the soul of self-aggrandizement, Jason, to quote yourself in your own signature? This is the second time I've been addressed as this "Jason" fellow.......it's quite perplexing. But, to answer your question, yes, it is.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 18 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 1:51 AM | | crashfrog has not replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 22 of 94 (155706)
11-04-2004 2:07 AM
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Reply to: Message 15 by crashfrog
11-04-2004 1:47 AM
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Hoo boy, anything but, as I've repeatedly stated for the past year. If I could be a theist, I'd be a lot happier, especially about misfortune. When I find an atheist or agnostic that's actually prayed and fasted and denied the flesh and still doesn't believe, THEN I'll believe in the atheist that wants to be a theist........but if you don't call to God, how do you expect him to answer you? If you don't seek, how can you find?
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 15 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 1:47 AM | | crashfrog has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 24 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 2:10 AM | | RustyShackelford has replied | | | Message 74 by nator, posted 11-08-2004 9:26 AM | | RustyShackelford has not replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 23 of 94 (155707)
11-04-2004 2:08 AM
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Reply to: Message 15 by crashfrog
11-04-2004 1:47 AM
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Oh, and just so you know, "many different reasons" is not an answer to my question. Why don't you give me just one, for instance. Humanistic vanity.
"Atheists are just like theists; they find it highly disturbing when you try to weaken their faith." Myself, a couple minutes ago
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 15 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 1:47 AM | | crashfrog has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 25 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 2:11 AM | | RustyShackelford has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 27 of 94 (155713)
11-04-2004 2:31 AM
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Reply to: Message 24 by crashfrog
11-04-2004 2:10 AM
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Been there, done that. Of course, I predict you'll tell me I'm lying, or something, because "if you had done it right, God would have came to you" or whatever. Tell me about it.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 24 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 2:10 AM | | crashfrog has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 34 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 10:50 AM | | RustyShackelford has not replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 28 of 94 (155714)
11-04-2004 2:33 AM
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Reply to: Message 25 by crashfrog
11-04-2004 2:11 AM
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"Vanity" to me is the arrogant presumption that God created an infinite universe simply as a playground for one insignificant species. But this is what many scientists believe......that there's a good probability that we're the only sentience in our universe.
Atheism is the opposite of vanity. Not true. You think you can destroy God with the logic of the human mind......that's vanity if I've ever heard it.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 25 by crashfrog, posted 11-04-2004 2:11 AM | | crashfrog has replied |
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RustyShackelford
Inactive Member
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Message 29 of 94 (155715)
11-04-2004 2:37 AM
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Reply to: Message 26 by Morte
11-04-2004 2:15 AM
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Re: ...Just save yourself some time and skip to the last paragraph.
Let me clarify - I'd like to think that there is an afterlife, but that is not what makes me believe in it. I'd like to believe in a God because that would mean there is an afterlife to look forward to, but I have yet to find one that makes sense to me and doesn't clash with evidence, other beliefs, or the morality I believe in, so I don't. Therefore, since I don't believe in a God, the most logical succession would be not to believe in an afterlife - so that would make things simpler, but I do not do so either. Sometimes things are complex. The two desires conflict each other So, you don't believe in any god, because no god conforms to your idealized concept of God........but you like the afterlife part, so you keep that. Sounds like believing waht you want to believe to me......
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 26 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 2:15 AM | | Morte has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 40 by Morte, posted 11-04-2004 5:20 PM | | RustyShackelford has not replied |
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