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Author Topic:   Whether to leave this forum or not
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(7)
Message 142 of 307 (655677)
03-12-2012 4:09 PM
Reply to: Message 84 by foreveryoung
03-11-2012 1:26 PM


Re: Fool me once
Without a literal bible, christianity is absolutely worthless.
Bullshit.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" still retains its value in spite of the fact that the Bible has some errors.
And frankly, its just terrible theology that the Bible is either totally and literally accurate or it has no value whatsoever. Its a false dichotomy and a detriment to christianity.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 84 by foreveryoung, posted 03-11-2012 1:26 PM foreveryoung has seen this message but not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 145 by Tangle, posted 03-12-2012 6:01 PM New Cat's Eye has replied
 Message 157 by Dr Adequate, posted 03-13-2012 2:39 PM New Cat's Eye has seen this message but not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 147 of 307 (655705)
03-12-2012 7:23 PM
Reply to: Message 145 by Tangle
03-12-2012 6:01 PM


Re: Fool me once
CS writes:
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" still retains its value in spite of the fact that the Bible has some errors.
But it wasn't invented by Christianity - or even Judaism. Or rather, it's not unique to them, it was invented many times across most if not all cultures.
I know, but that's beside the point. It still retains its value.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 145 by Tangle, posted 03-12-2012 6:01 PM Tangle has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 149 by Tangle, posted 03-13-2012 3:39 AM New Cat's Eye has replied
 Message 150 by Granny Magda, posted 03-13-2012 8:36 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 151 of 307 (655745)
03-13-2012 10:02 AM
Reply to: Message 150 by Granny Magda
03-13-2012 8:36 AM


Re: Fool me once
To be honest, I agree with Tangle here; I think that it's your point that is beside the point.
Can we agree that its within the point? I see his broader message that you mention, but I was just focusing on that smaller part.
Foreveryoung was talking about the dogmatic content of the Bible, not its doctrinal content. Specifically, he was arguing that if we are willing to doubt the veracity of dogma in Genesis, then there is no reason not to place the Gospels under the same levels of soubt. Since this includes events like the resurrection of Jesus, which is fairly central to Christianity, this could be considered a major problem.
Honestly, I don't think his point is all that clear...
He starts with:
quote:
I have never known any christianity that was not based on the idea that the whole bible was absolutely true. Message 80
Which is followed by the same reasoning you just outlined. But then he gets to:
quote:
Without a literal bible, christianity is absolutely worthless. Message 84
Now, maybe "literal" and "absolutely true" mean the same thing to them, but to me it obfuscates the point being made.
When you're getting into literal-ness, you're getting more into doctrine than dogma, imho.
But still, the doctrinal content of the Bible doesn't really have anything to do with it. I agree with you that a fallible Bible does not diminish the worth of doctrines like love thy neighbour, but I really don't think that this directly addresses foreveryoung's point.
I see that (better now), but there's more to it. "Christianity" is not just what he's making it out to be and "dogmatic" doesn't have to be non-doctrinal. The Golden Rule is both dagmatic and doctrinal. I didn't intend it, as and example, to be limited to a doctrinal one, I just used it because I thought we could all agree that its in the bible and it has truth and that Genesis having an error doesn't mean we have to throw out the Golden Rule along with it. Too, if you do use it as a piece of dogmatic content, then it could address the wider point as well, no?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 150 by Granny Magda, posted 03-13-2012 8:36 AM Granny Magda has not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 154 of 307 (655758)
03-13-2012 11:55 AM
Reply to: Message 149 by Tangle
03-13-2012 3:39 AM


Re: Fool me once
It retains its value, but as well as it not mattering that whether the Christian bible is literally true, it means that it doesn't even matter if you don't use the bible at all - more or less any religious book will do. In fact it doesn't even need to be religious, try the European declaration on Human Rights or even this one:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal etc"
The only way I can make sense of what your saying is if the point is that christianity looses its worth because it didn't come up with the valuable truth itself. Let me outline it:
you writes:
me writes:
you writes:
me writes:
them writes:
Without a literal bible, christianity is absolutely worthless.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" still retains its value in spite of the fact that the Bible has some errors.
But it wasn't invented by Christianity
It still retains its value.
It retains its value, but as well as it not mattering that whether the Christian bible is literally true, it means that it doesn't even matter if you don't use the bible at all - more or less any religious book will do.
Yeah, I'm sorry. That's not making much sense to me. Are you relying on the worth of christianity to be the invention of the valuable truth?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 149 by Tangle, posted 03-13-2012 3:39 AM Tangle has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 184 by foreveryoung, posted 03-19-2012 1:47 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(3)
Message 197 of 307 (656498)
03-19-2012 11:13 AM
Reply to: Message 184 by foreveryoung
03-19-2012 1:47 AM


Re: Fool me once
The problem would come if anyone ever started to question the basis for that morality.
What is this "problem"? What's wrong with an ultimately baseless morality?
Without the biblical basis, all that is left is utilitarianism.
That's just not true. Utlitarianism is just one branch consequationalism, which is paralleled by other types of ethics like deontology.
You can read about that kind of stuff here:
Normative ethics - Wikipedia
On top of all that, you could just be a Muslim instead. Or some other religion. They've have their own bases in morality that aren't necessarily based on the Bible.
Without a genesis that is absolutely, literally true, there is no rational reason to accept the bible as a basis for morality that goes beyond utilitarian purposes.
Sure there is. Like I said early, even after you realize that Genesis contains errors, The Golden Rule still has its value. That it has value is a reason to accept it. Too, you could just plain old like it and it accept it for that reason. Or you could accept it becuase following it makes you feel better. Or because you think it will get you into heaven. Or... well, as you can see there are other reasons.
Setting up this false dichotomy as a way to force Biblicalism as some sort of necessary default is just terrible theology, by the way. You should prop it up on its merits instead. Falling on it as the least worst makes it look bad.
If you destroy the legitimacy of the bible, you have made Christianity worthless.
People have been saying that crap for a long time... Did you know there were people who believed that you'd have to throw the whole Bible away if it was proven that the Earth wasn't in the center of the solar system? Don't you think that is a bit silly? Well you're in the same boat.
However, if you are seeking ultimate meaning and purpose in life, or the absolute truth regarding the most important things in life, you have no reason to look for it in the bible if you cannot trust that it is perfectly true throughout.
Why not? The Golden Rule still has value even though Genesis contains errors.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 184 by foreveryoung, posted 03-19-2012 1:47 AM foreveryoung has not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(2)
Message 223 of 307 (656823)
03-22-2012 10:48 AM
Reply to: Message 215 by foreveryoung
03-22-2012 2:01 AM


I am fucking tired of people being unwilling to discuss ideas without screaming about fucking evidence. You can all go to hell. I am done here. Fuck each and everyone of you save the creationists.
Oh wow... Biblical literalism as done you wonders.
You're doing a disservice to your specific faith and Christianity in general. Please stop it. You're making the rest of us look bad.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 215 by foreveryoung, posted 03-22-2012 2:01 AM foreveryoung has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 231 by foreveryoung, posted 04-13-2012 12:14 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(2)
Message 235 of 307 (659189)
04-13-2012 9:55 AM
Reply to: Message 231 by foreveryoung
04-13-2012 12:14 AM


go to hell

This message is a reply to:
 Message 231 by foreveryoung, posted 04-13-2012 12:14 AM foreveryoung has not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 238 of 307 (659198)
04-13-2012 11:25 AM
Reply to: Message 237 by GDR
04-13-2012 10:58 AM


May I humbly suggest that our suspended friend is a troll.
I think he's serious. He really is just a jerk who hates us.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 237 by GDR, posted 04-13-2012 10:58 AM GDR has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 240 by GDR, posted 04-13-2012 11:56 AM New Cat's Eye has not replied

  
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