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Author Topic:   Is christianity, or religion in general, a belief of convinience?
DBlevins
Member (Idle past 3806 days)
Posts: 652
From: Puyallup, WA.
Joined: 02-04-2003


Message 34 of 206 (124728)
07-15-2004 2:28 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Hangdawg13
07-12-2004 10:47 PM


False truths and other true falsities...
False truths...are they truely false?
I know a little heavy on the repetition but couldn't help pointing out such a blatant oxymoron.
quote:
I presented evidence against evolution to my friends who are biology majors, and they just got mad and didn't want to talk about it. They couldn't even imagine the earth not being 4.6 billion years old. How's that for not thinking freely.
What you have failed to realize is that this has nothing to do with thinking freely, and everything to do with weighing the evidence. As some posters have repeated ad nauseum..."Having an open mind doesn't mean letting your brains fall out."
quote:
The humble Christian has found is finding and will continue to find truth.
The arrogant Christian may or may not have found truth, but even if he has it is useless to him.
Many christians who take the bible as the ultimate truth arrogantly assert that there is no other god but the christian one. Again if you can accept one god, why not another?
quote:
You've got it backwards. It is the knowledge of the truth that makes them stand up to any direct challenges against it. But the humble Christian does not run around on crusades trying to set everything straight and challenging every false truth.
It is the extreme lack of knowledge that allows many a christian to pound their head on the wall of science yelling the mantra..."It just can't be...It just can't be." But seriously, its this arrogance that they are so certain of the truth regardless of the preponderance of evidence for evolution.
Again with the oxymoron...
quote:
Well, yeah. Another person's religion may be psychologically meaningful, but not spiritually meaningful. If I know the truth with absolute certainty and something contradicts it, then naturally I'm going to discard it.
Where's Rrhain when you need him...doesn't he sell rice-a-roni?
If you know the truth with "absolute certainty", doesn't that preclude discarding it? I mean how can you [b]know the truth with absolute certainty and then just discard it. Are you sure you understand the meaning of this statement "to know the truth with absolute certainty."
quote:
How can you truly think freely when you choose to ignore a whole dimension of reality?
my brains just fell out....

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Hangdawg13, posted 07-12-2004 10:47 PM Hangdawg13 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 38 by Hangdawg13, posted 07-15-2004 3:10 PM DBlevins has replied

  
DBlevins
Member (Idle past 3806 days)
Posts: 652
From: Puyallup, WA.
Joined: 02-04-2003


Message 36 of 206 (124735)
07-15-2004 2:46 PM
Reply to: Message 12 by Hangdawg13
07-13-2004 1:37 AM


My invisible pink dragon...
I just wanted to let you know that I have an invisible pink dragon, who levitates and lives in my garage. You can't see him but he always answers my prayers. He gets in a bad mood sometimes and doesn't always give me what I ask for but I understand and am humbled by it. He also speaks to me in parables, which I am free to interpret. His knowledge is awesome but since mine is not I am imperfect and sin often. If only more people believed in my pnk dragon, they'd know the richness I feel in my life. My spirit's cup runneth over.
He also gives me visions, escpecially when he hits me over the head with his HAMMER. to know him is to know love...
by the way, he told me that christians are possesed of the devil and that christian faith healing is demonism in action among other christian supposed miracles...he should know (he's all knowing you know).

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Hangdawg13, posted 07-13-2004 1:37 AM Hangdawg13 has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 41 by mike the wiz, posted 07-15-2004 3:26 PM DBlevins has replied

  
DBlevins
Member (Idle past 3806 days)
Posts: 652
From: Puyallup, WA.
Joined: 02-04-2003


Message 52 of 206 (124773)
07-15-2004 4:32 PM
Reply to: Message 38 by Hangdawg13
07-15-2004 3:10 PM


Re: False truths and other true falsities...
quote:
All this makes sense, except I DID give them evidence. I gave them evidence such as that about missing helium, missing Volcanic debris, missing river sediments, continental erosion rates, mostly shallow meteorites, young comets and the poynting-Robertson Effect, and the fact that radioactive decay rates are only known to be constant for a century or less as compared to the earth's supposed 4.6 bill year history.
They just said, "No, it can't be... there's... there's all those fossils..." One girl just got red-faced and angry... They refused to contemplate a young earth even though they had no specific evidence to support the old one. This is NOT free thinking. This is what you accuse myself and other fundamentalists of... automatically believing anything someone tells you.
There is a preponderance on evidence for this Earth being ~4.6 billion years old. To blatantly plug up your ears and shout "la..la..la..la..la" to all the credible science done that extablishes this, is just beyond my comprehension. In fact that is what many so-called fundementalist do. They refuse to look at ANY evidence that contradicts their belief system. Instead they look for "evidence" from so-called creation-science, which often manufactures evidence, ignores or overlooks scientific findings done by professional scientists in their field of study, and denies any evidence contrary to their cloesly held belief.
If you actually took the time to do some serious study into what actual scientists are telling you, if you actually take the time to try to understand the tenets of modern biology, astronomy, physics, chemistry, etc. you would see how ridiculus are many if not most of the claims by creationists.
Scientists don't have a monopoly on the truth. Science is an attempt to understand the natural world, given the evidence presented. That you could learn something from their research and refuse, just breaks my heart (well maybe not.. but you get the point.)
You are right though, I do think you automatically believe anything creationist literature tells you about the missing helium, missing Volcanic debris, missing river sediments, continental erosion rates, mostly shallow meteorites, young comets and the Poynting-Robertson effect, and the fact that radioactive decay rates are only known to be constant for a century or less as compared to the earth's supposed 4.6 bill year history. Otherwise you would do your OWN research, perhaps take some college courses in Geology, Physics, Earth Science, anthropology, Biology, etc. and find out for yourself what claims are true and what are false. You gotta do your homework though...there are no free passes.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 38 by Hangdawg13, posted 07-15-2004 3:10 PM Hangdawg13 has not replied

  
DBlevins
Member (Idle past 3806 days)
Posts: 652
From: Puyallup, WA.
Joined: 02-04-2003


Message 55 of 206 (124778)
07-15-2004 4:42 PM
Reply to: Message 41 by mike the wiz
07-15-2004 3:26 PM


Re: My invisible pink dragon...
His scripture, I have underneath this large tent-like viel which is blasphemous for unbelievers to uncover. They tell of his dragon-breathed prophesies, which have ALL come true and of his eminent exposure to the world, to purify the world with fire and pestilence and then a return to our worlds natural bliss-like state which we have forgotten. Free donuts and coffee for all!
I am his first convert, and therefore his first, though hopefully not last, preacher of his teachings.
My pink dragon is neither he nor she and immutable. I have taken to drawing my dragon as a she, but I think that this might be my own imperfect perception.
Because in my prayers he/she told me she was pink.
Good to be back!
and always good to hear from you as well.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 41 by mike the wiz, posted 07-15-2004 3:26 PM mike the wiz has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 59 by mike the wiz, posted 07-15-2004 5:04 PM DBlevins has not replied

  
DBlevins
Member (Idle past 3806 days)
Posts: 652
From: Puyallup, WA.
Joined: 02-04-2003


Message 93 of 206 (124901)
07-16-2004 1:21 AM
Reply to: Message 82 by Hangdawg13
07-16-2004 12:08 AM


on the subject of demons
quote:
Some spirits (demons) are obviously evil. They demand human sacrifices or sex orgies (read about the phallic cult) or posses people and cause them to become irrational and violent. Some are more subtle and gently deceptive providing (magical) powers or insight or speaking through mediums (I won't go into the visions my friend, Micah, has been allowed to see of angels and demons). Any spirit that does not admit "Christ is Lord" is a demon.
Again with Pascals Wager. They can as easily say that your god is a demon, if they believe in such. One man's god is another's demon and that is the point you seem to conveniently miss. Your god is no more provable than any others. Many religions, though not all require it, have fullfilled prophecy. Many of the arguments that you make for the truth of your religion are made by people of other religions.
*decided to invest in rice-a-roni*
*wonders if some fundementalists would like to take us back to the day when mental illnesses and sicknesses were thought to be caused by demons, with ritualistic witch burnings and the like*
*shudders at the thought*
Cultural Anthropology is filled with stories of conversions to one religion or another. Is it proof of the replacing religions superiority or ultimate truth or just people deciding to try something new? There are plenty of stories of christian religions, instead of converting the heathen, just being incorporated into their belief system. Voodoo coming to mind, among various others.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 82 by Hangdawg13, posted 07-16-2004 12:08 AM Hangdawg13 has not replied

  
DBlevins
Member (Idle past 3806 days)
Posts: 652
From: Puyallup, WA.
Joined: 02-04-2003


Message 95 of 206 (124903)
07-16-2004 1:25 AM
Reply to: Message 85 by Yaro
07-16-2004 12:26 AM


interesting...
quote:
Yes, I have a very vivid imagination too. Once I had a dream I could move things with my mind. It seemed so real, that when I woke up I tried to actually do it for like a half hour before I felt silly and gave up. The mind is a powerfull thing, demons, no.
hehe, I know this is off the subject but just had to comment that those types of dreams where I can move things with my mind and of course Flying are some of my favorite dreams. Isn't it funny how you wake up and think "ooh, maybe I CAN do it" and after a short futile effort you have to laugh at yourself.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 85 by Yaro, posted 07-16-2004 12:26 AM Yaro has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 96 by sidelined, posted 07-16-2004 1:50 AM DBlevins has not replied

  
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