For Faith and Belief, I guess, since Short Subjects is closed. Or for nowhere, I don't even know if there's anything here to discuss.
In another thread, a not-so-evolved white guy pretends like he knows me:
quote:
You are the one who lacks the experience. If you knew what I truly spoke of, you wouldn't be arguing against.
Oh how I desperately want God to exist! Is that what you think? Friend I would be glad to believe that life is meaningless and there won't be a judgment again. I thought once, that was freedom and the tools and fools in religion were delusional. Then I had an experience like the deepest love and an ocean of peace wash me of my sins. It was beautiful, and my eyes were opened for the first time. And when I came back down to earth and looked around, it was like Plato's cave. No one will believe me, hell sometimes I don't think anyone can, but it's part of the responsibility to God to witness.
I don't want it to be true anymore than you do, however, it is and it is a tough reality. But knowing that justice will eventually prevail is a wonderful thought. Faith is the most important element of human existence. We can move mountains, lift cars, walk on water, heal others, levitate, do all of these things. Skepticism only begets lack of healthy spirituality and a darkness to the fullness of Him who made us in his image.
People - I
was a Christian. A fundamentalist, creationist one. Biblical inerrancy. Redeeming power of Jesus. Gave my life to Christ.
All that stuff. I've been there, people. I
do know, truly, what you speak of, White Guy. I was all wrapped up in it - which is how I know that it's fake and you're fooling yourself.
Friend I would be glad to believe that life is meaningless and there won't be a judgment again.
See, that's nonsense. There's no solace in an uncaring universe. In the senseless deaths of the loved and the innocent. This isn't a
good time we're having here on Earth, White Guy. Maybe you need to get out more but there's
sucky stuff going on. My close friend died in a meaningless war. My wife's grandfather died from the strain of caring for a woman who had forgotten him six hours after the funeral.
Sure, there's joy, too. The joy we make for ourselves. The universe does precious little to make that possible and plenty to make that impossible for some.
As atheists, we would desperately love the idea of an inescapable cosmic force that punished the wicked and preserved those we love that we might be with them again. Jesus, it's not like religion makes all that money by telling people what they don't want to hear. What they don't want to hear is atheism, I know, because as an atheist people are always trying to shut me up.
But knowing that justice will eventually prevail is a wonderful thought.
Oh, so you do want it to be true. My point exactly. Sure, maybe it means you have a few cosmic parking tickets to pay, but like most reasonable people, you think accepting the just punishments for your small infractions is worth catching and punishing the guys that rape and murder children, for instance.
We can move mountains, lift cars, walk on water, heal others, levitate, do all of these things.
Are you shitting me? Nobody can levitate on faith, or heal with faith, or excavate with faith. Faith is useless.
The people that "levitate" are called "pilots", and they fly airplanes, which were invented out of scientific skepticism - the opposite of faith. The people that heal are called "doctors", and they use "medicines", which were invented out of scientific skepticism - the opposite of faith. The people that excavate are diggers, and they dig with machines - machines invented when people got tired of waiting around for God to move the mountains for them.
Faith cannot move anything. Faith cannot do anything. Faith is worse than useless; faith is what convinces people to wait around for others to do it for them.
I know this because
I had faith. I was full of it. And it was useless. It was only when I eliminated faith that I began to make anything of myself. They say "God is my co-pilot" but it was only when I took the wheel myself that I ever got anywhere.
So don't try to act like I don't know anything about your faith. I believed it long before you did.
Edited by crashfrog, : No reason given.
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