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Member (Idle past 5793 days) Posts: 229 From: Ghana West Africa Joined: |
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Author | Topic: Probability of the existence of God | |||||||||||||||||||||||
New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
Catholic Scientist writes: but it can never be 100%. When the experiment is over and each one of us stand before God the Son to be judged and we receive our just rewards for what we have done in the flesh there will be no doubt left in anyone's mind, as to the existence of God. Such pedantry!
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
Secondly, Jesus uses the word 'not seen' in the context someone believing through physical seeing. We have no basis for supposing he meant 'without evidence' instead of 'not seen' when the context indicates not having physically seen. But Thomas stuck his finger in Jesus' side.... I don't think Jesus was referring to sight and sight alone when he refers to 'not seeing'. Even in modern usage of the word we might say that someone "saw for themself" when referring to some other sense that they used.
Jesus doesn't say anything about how those who don't see yet believe come to believe so you cannot dismiss their coming to belief via unseen evidence out of hand. Certainly not in the light of Hebrews 11:1 which tells us that faith is evidence of things unseen. Evidence of Christ unseen? Why not? To me, it just doesn't seem to be what Jesus is saying. I believe that those who don't see yet believe come to believe by faith. Their faith is what allows them to believe in the absense of evidence, but the faith, itself, is not the evidence. It can't be the evidence because then we have the circular definition.
Faith = the cause. Belief = the effect..in this context. I understand the definition, I just don't subscribe to it because that isn't how it works for me personally. Also, if faith is the god supplied cause, and some people are without faith (not by choice) then god has let them down.
That is not to say that the word faith is not interchangeable with belief in another context. It's like the word death. Death is used in one context to mean spiritual separation from God. In another context it's used to mean physical dying. Sleep is used in one context to mean Zzzz. In another it refers to Christians who have died. I just don't see faith as being that way. It isn't for me, at least. Faith isn't some stuff that provides me with the reason to believe. I believe without reason because I have faith. I don't need a reason if I have faith. But my faith is not my evidence for believing, its a lack of evidence.
I'm not saying God picks and chooses which people believe in him and which don't. I'm just saying that the reason people believe anything is because of their having evidence for it. And that counters what I understand Jesus' teaching to be about having faith in the absense of evidence as being blessed.
That God provides evidence to the one and not ther other need not be because of Gods picking and choosing. I would hold that man has a part to play in his own eternal destination. But man cannot control what he finds convincing and what he doesn't. I can't just choose to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster...
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
Hi Cs,
Message 85 Catholic Scientist writes: No, Thomas got his faith when he saw that it really was Jesus and when he touched him. Where does the scripture you quoted say that Thomas touched Jesus.
John 20:
quote: Seems to me you are just reading that into the passage.
Message 89Catholic Scientist writes: Such pedantry! Thanks. Seems you don't know what pedantry is.
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
Catholic Scientist writes:
ICANT writes: Where does the scripture you quoted say that Thomas touched Jesus.
John 20:
quote: Could you point out the specific words that says Thomas reached out and touched Jesus.
Ugh.... John 20:
quote: Oh but it doesn't say that he actually did it You, yourself, on this forum, have added a lot more to less with that crap about Gen 2 being in between Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2, or whatever it was, so don't give me this crap about what the Bible actually says.
Maybe I don't but if it {pedantry} hasn't changed it has to do with presentation or application of knowledge or learning. From wiki quote: Or the use of the Bible....
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
But if I study the Word of God and let it interpet itself being precise in what it says allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me in all truth I can find the truth. Like the truth that Thomas didn't touch Jesus?
That is why I can be 100% sure I will see God the moment my spirit leaves this earthly body. But you could be wrong.... And how do you know that it isn't Satan disguised as the Holy Spirit giving you false interpretations to lead you astray?
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
Which only goes to underline my point. Whoops, I misunderstood that point but its clear now.
I understand the definition, I just don't subscribe to it because that isn't how it works for me personally.
...is your perogative. The biblical case is fairly straighforward however
Yes, yes whatever. Lets just discuss from a Biblical standpoint, ok? I’m reposting the passages in question for clarity . Hebrews 11:quote: From John 20:quote: The way Jesus talks of faith doesn't seem to fit with the Hebrews definition... How did Thomas get faith by seeing Jesus if faith is the evidence for things that are not seen? Thomas’s evidence for his belief is not his faith, he only gets his faith after he gets the physical evidence, and the physical evidence is what allowed him to believe. Jesus says that those who are blessed {as opposed to the blessed } are the ones that believe without seeing (ie evidence). If you are going to equate faith with evidence, then you are believing by seeing... Jesus doesn't explicitly say that you are unblessed, but the implication is there.
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
As pointed out, the word faith is like the word death.. is like the word sleep. In this instance Jesus uses faith and belief interchangably. "Be not faithless but be believing" means "be not un unbelieving but have faith". Then the same could be said about the definition provided by Hebrews.... Faith itself isn't a substance, they were talking about believing
As pointed out, this presupposes your being justified in altering the words that Jesus spoke. To me, it seems like you are the one doing the altering
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