(January 27, 2017 at 10:45 am)Neo-Scholastic Wrote: Personally, I think church tradition is extremely important and should not be discarded on the basis of a couple of proof texts. You will find that even Protestant theologians rely on the doctrines developed by the Schoolmen during the period of the "Church Universal." Sola Scriptura is a circular doctrine. It claims the the bible interprets itself. People have to be very naive to believe that. It's not an easy read. The 66 books are rich, complex and challenging.
(January 27, 2017 at 5:53 am)Rispri Wrote: In either case the reason i must believe is because 1: I have fear of death. 2: Its comforting to think of an idea to see the loved ones after i i die.
Those do not seem like particularly positive motivations for faith in Jesus Christ. Christianity can be a highly rewarding approach to life, filled with a unique kind of joy based on a personal experience with the source of love-itself. Atheists will say that you can get that without god. Perhaps. You'll have to decide that for yourself. You might want to check out David Bentley Hart's book on bliss (https://www.amazon.com/Experience-God-Be...nce+of+god)
Also the notion that there is "no evidence" trades on an ambiguity about the meaning of the word evidence. In their minds the evidence may be insufficient, but that is for you to decide based on observed facts about the world-as-it-is and decide if that justifies belief.
