Another religious thread of speculation

Olivia said:
No, it's not the subject that makes me nervous. It's how l explain myself and am l doing It right in how l mean it. It's not like politics to me because politics is mainly used to convince someone to think the same as you do.
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I don't think I understand.
 

Inept said:
Religion is a bit like politics. If the subject makes you nervous it's better not to engage in the topic very much unless you can maintain a strictly academic approach. Generally speaking this approach is the A to Z of Agnosticism but Theists and Atheists have difficulties with it. Particularly Theists who believe in missionary stuff.
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Yes, 'missionary stuff' and the crusades and so forth can't be justified, or maybe justifiable only by the pope.
Christ told us to go forth and spread the word, not to beat people over the head with it. The Christian contempt for outsiders or for anyone is not acceptable.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. --Matthew 7:1
 

gruntlabor said:
Yes, 'missionary stuff' and the crusades and so forth can't be justified, or maybe justifiable only by the pope.
Christ told us to go forth and spread the word, not to beat people over the head with it. The Christian contempt for outsiders or for anyone is not acceptable.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. --Matthew 7:1
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And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. -- Matthew 10:14
 
gruntlabor said:
Yes, 'missionary stuff' and the crusades and so forth can't be justified, or maybe justifiable only by the pope.
Christ told us to go forth and spread the word, not to beat people over the head with it. The Christian contempt for outsiders or for anyone is not acceptable.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. --Matthew 7:1
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And blessed are the cheesemakers.

 
Mr. Ed said:
Basically the author is an atheist who claims everyone is an atheist at birth. From birth forward people are succumbed by religion based on the beliefs of their guardian's who may or may not be religious.
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Well he's wrong then. My parents were not particularly religious and I hadn't been to school or hardly left my house when I had my first religious experience at age four. When I told my parents about it they clearly thought I was weird.

Are we copying posts from Reddit now? Should I find C. S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity," online and copy and paste great swaths here?
Isn't it enough that we have atheism shoved down our throats on this board every few days or so?

The last few novels my book club has read have been filled with anti-Christian speeches and dozens of hypocritical, cruel "Christian" characters. Modern movies and TV shows only portray Christians as evil bigots. History books tell us all about the bad moments, the crusades and the Salem witch trials. When is there ever a mention of the fact that Christians feed more hungry people in the world than any other group. When bringing up the bad Christian-funded orphanages and homes for un-wed mothers why aren't they ever compared to the atheist run, orphanages and homes? Oh that's right! Because there weren't any -- or least I never heard of them.

If you hate Christians that's your right, but don't pretend you're saying something brave and new because the internet message boards have been preaching atheism since the web was invented.
 
Pepper said:
I disagree. Yes, things can be taken out of context, but overall, it's clear cut. Different interpretations? Maybe. But clear cut. It says what it says. IMO
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It is clear cut for you. Great. But, it is the most controversial book ever written, with more "explanations" of what it means than can fill the Astro Dome. :)
 
Inept said:
Religion is a bit like politics. If the subject makes you nervous it's better not to engage in the topic very much unless you can maintain a strictly academic approach. Generally speaking this approach is the A to Z of Agnosticism but Theists and Atheists have difficulties with it. Particularly Theists who believe in missionary stuff.
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Religion a bit like politics?

.. maintain a strictly academic approach?

.. the A to Z of agnosticism?

This seems to be an approach motivated by the desire to maintain detachment, to regard the phenomenon of religion as a Martian might. I wonder how well that would work for exploring the flavor of chocolate? Don't actually taste it. Just analyze its components and whatever else can be considered without actually putting any of the stuff in your mouth. I'm more interested in the embodied view from where I am than in the cold analytic view from nowhere.
 
MarkD said:
Religion a bit like politics?

.. maintain a strictly academic approach?

.. the A to Z of agnosticism?

This seems to be an approach motivated by the desire to maintain detachment, to regard the phenomenon of religion as a Martian might. I wonder how well that would work for exploring the flavor of chocolate? Don't actually taste it. Just analyze its components and whatever else can be considered without actually putting any of the stuff in your mouth. I'm more interested in the embodied view from where I am than in the cold analytic view from nowhere.
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I have a feeling you do not understand what I said.
 
gruntlabor said:
Yes, but what if God sits outside the universe? Why should He necessarily be in it --part of or subject to its silly laws, like time, gravity, speed of light and so forth?
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Actually if there was a God that created the universe it makes sense that being outside would be right. Think of it like making a box .
 
Knight said:
Actually if there was a God that created the universe it makes sense that being outside would be right. Think of it like making a box .
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That's what makes sense to me, although somebody said (Einstein? Spinoza?) that God IS the universe. But what do any of us know? Nothing!
A big question to be answered is:
Is there an edge to the universe? Or is it infinite?
Outside theory, I don't think infinity has ever been proved.
 
MarkD said:
This seems to be an approach motivated by the desire to maintain detachment, to regard the phenomenon of religion as a Martian might. I wonder how well that would work for exploring the flavor of chocolate? Don't actually taste it. Just analyze its components and whatever else can be considered without actually putting any of the stuff in your mouth. I'm more interested in the embodied view from where I am than in the cold analytic view from nowhere.
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Poor AIs, that is a serious ongoing problem for them. (Sorry off topic)
 
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Paco Dennis said:
That was explained very well, thank you. Your belief is deeply personal, and includes life all around you. There is that interesting question some people ask after an explanation like yours; "So, how is that working out for you?" I am very happy that your faith is working out so well for you. :)
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it works out fine. It has it ups and downs when I don't agree, and sometimes I don't. Eventually finding out that it would have made life less complicated if I had just agreed. But then disagreeing has been very educational.
I don't know what to say. My father offered little to my understanding, basically because no one had offered it to him. So what was he going to tell me?????? God on the other hand offers answers, to which I either ignore or accept. That is where disagreeing becomes educational.
End result. I sort the problem out, apply what God originally told me and move on. I may suffer from a human standpoint, financially or physically but but from a spiritual standpoint I know all is right. Don't know if this makes any sense. no matter, just trying to respond.
 
gruntlabor said:
Is there an edge to the universe? Or is it infinite?
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For those with blind faith there would have to be an edge. Is it infinite no way to know yet, but science is pushing to find out.
If infinite well it's no mystery what that would mean.
 
Knight said:
For those with blind faith there would have to be an edge. Is it infinite no way to know yet, but science is pushing to find out.
If infinite well it's no mystery what that would mean.
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Scientists believe the universe is about 93 billion light-years in diameter. This measurement covers the "observable universe" — the part we can measure from Earth. There may be more to it that we are currently unable to measure.
 
gruntlabor said:
But what do any of us know? Nothing!
A big question to be answered is:
Is there an edge to the universe? Or is it infinite?
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Inept said:
Correct.

Irrelevant questions, considering we know nothing. It's like asking if Tralfamadore is closer to the earth than Tramtaria and saying it's a big question to be answered.
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Pepper said:
I don't consider her question irrelevant. You, however..........
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..... think it is irrelvant. Yes, I do.
 
gruntlabor said:
Yes, but what if God sits outside the universe? Why should He necessarily be in it --part of or subject to its silly laws, like time, gravity, speed of light and so forth?
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I have pondered this, and here is my current view.
It makes sense to me that whatever immense energy that spawned the universe, that energy became the universe and everything in it (Including us and nature). You can call that energy God if it suits you, but whatever ......

There is the temptation to imbue that energy with God-like attributes (Omniscience, omnipotence, etc...), but I see no evidence of that or even a plan. It's also possible that the same energy that gave birth to the universe is not only in the universe, but also even far greater. Perhaps we are more of a simulation or (gulp) an ant farm for entertainment or curiosity.

That being said, I do see some order in the universe as well as clues. We just need to decipher them as best we can.
 
What is this universe we are existing in? No one knows, but most all of us wonder. So all questions are relevant, and none of them can be answered, ( except by faith ). Makes for a fun mystery game, every day. :)
 

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