(June 8, 2016 at 4:29 am)Ignorant Wrote: Hello all, I was wondering if some of you would be willing to share what you think about the story of the "Prodigal Son"? All thoughts are welcome. Thanks! 

A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 

Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. 

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. 

Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 

He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.' 

He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'
-Luke 15:11-32

It's about the father loving his son so much that he's willing to forgive anything and everything in the blink of an eye... if only the son has even the slightest change of heart. All it took was for the father to see his son walking back up the path to the house. Before his son even said "I'm sorry" the father had already forgiven and forgotten everything and was just overjoyed to have his son come back to him. 

This is how Jesus explains God's love for us. God allows us the free will to walk away from Him/His ways if we want, but He will always be available to take us back in a heartbeat if only we come to Him. 

As for the older son, I think it just goes to show that a perfect father will love all his children the exact same. Whether they were good/loyal sons, or wayward sons who chose to walk away from him. And there should be no jealousy or feelings of betrayal from the "good" sons when a father is overjoyed by the return of a son who left him.

(June 8, 2016 at 1:53 pm)Ignorant Wrote:

(June 8, 2016 at 1:45 pm)madog Wrote: I think it highlights the fathers insensitivity. As has been said the loyal son would have partaken in the feast, so a nice steak wasn't the issue here. 
 
When you have children it is important to convey your demonstrations of love equally .... we know the father had never demonstrated his love in such a public manner for the loyal son.

I think the belated "everything I have is yours"  missed the point, as I doubt this was about the fattened cow for the loyal son but the fact that for all the son's loyalty the father had taken him for granted.
As I said not discussing it with the loyal son first was the not the act of a sensitive man .... I hope this isn't a way to show your "God" is nice?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Why does there need to be a suspicion that there is a "secret game" I'm playing? There is no forthcoming "proof" or "argument". I just wanted to know how people who-do-not-believe-in-God respond to one of Jesus's parables. Is that too crazy to believe too? =)

Look at some of my earlier threads. For a good couple of months some people were convinced all the questions I was asking had some sort of hidden agenda lol.

(June 8, 2016 at 2:14 pm)madog Wrote: It just seems strange that a self professed Catholic would need to ask atheists for the meaning of a parable? [1]

It does seem a nifty way to post parables and evangelize, which is not to say I am saying that is what you are doing, which is why I said I hope rather than consider : [2] 

1) I don't need to do this. I want to do this because I find that differing points-of-view tend to enrich and enlarge my own point-of-view. Has that been your experience?

2) Well, I deduce (imperfectly) that most people here are not atheist due to ignorance of the Gospel. I suspect that the majority are quite familiar with it and reject it as such. Because of that and the fact that there is a specific section labeled "Christianity", I assumed this is a privileged place where you can get "normal" atheists' perspective on things about Christianity. Is it that surprising that a Catholic would be interested in how the Gospel parables strike people who lack belief?

(June 8, 2016 at 2:26 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: This is how Jesus explains God's love for us. God allows us the free will to walk away from Him/His ways if we want, but He will always be available to take us back in a heartbeat if only we come to Him. 

Unless we die in the meantime.

(June 8, 2016 at 2:02 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote:

(June 8, 2016 at 1:56 pm)Ignorant Wrote: Well, my thoughts are still developing about it. Hopefully I'll have them ironed out enough soon to share.

Why did you present this story then?

Because I value (more or less) what other human beings think about the things I find important, especially those who disagree with me.

(June 8, 2016 at 2:34 pm)Ignorant Wrote:

(June 8, 2016 at 2:02 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: Why did you present this story then?

Because I value (more or less) what other human beings think about the things I find important, especially those who disagree with me.

Why do you think this story is important?

For what it's worth, I think Ignorant is genuinely interested in asking us questions without an agenda. He's fast become one of my favourite theists.

(June 8, 2016 at 1:25 pm)Ignorant Wrote:

(June 8, 2016 at 11:16 am)robvalue Wrote: Here it is:

https://youtu.be/FKxB7vdnego

I can understand the similarities you see there. Do you notice any differences between the two?

The father was very overly dramatic in his language. And there were more characters in this story.

(June 8, 2016 at 2:30 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(June 8, 2016 at 1:53 pm)Ignorant Wrote: Thanks for your thoughts!

Why does there need to be a suspicion that there is a "secret game" I'm playing? There is no forthcoming "proof" or "argument". I just wanted to know how people who-do-not-believe-in-God respond to one of Jesus's parables. Is that too crazy to believe too? =)

Look at some of my earlier threads. For a good couple of months some people were convinced all the questions I was asking had some sort of hidden agenda lol.

You're a catholick who likes toilets.  What did you expect?

(June 8, 2016 at 2:32 pm)Ignorant Wrote: 1) I don't need to do this. I want to do this because I find that differing points-of-view tend to enrich and enlarge my own point-of-view. Has that been your experience? 

I can not know what you intend but I do know what your God wants of you ... just one example ...

"Mark 16:15  


And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

But I can ask you and Catholic_Lady is your intention to learn about atheists or proclaim the Gospel?

I would remind you that deception is a sin according to your beliefs.

I have no problem with mild evangelism, but even atheists respect honesty

(June 8, 2016 at 2:44 pm)madog Wrote:

(June 8, 2016 at 2:32 pm)Ignorant Wrote: 1) I don't need to do this. I want to do this because I find that differing points-of-view tend to enrich and enlarge my own point-of-view. Has that been your experience? 

I can not know what you intend but I do know what your God wants of you ... just one example ...

"Mark 16:15  


And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

But I can ask you and Catholic_Lady is your intention to learn about atheists or proclaim the Gospel? [1]

I would remind you that deception is a sin according to your beliefs. [2]

I have no problem with mild evangelism, but even atheists respect honesty  [3]

1) Are the two mutually exclusive?

2) Why the persistent hermeneutic of suspicion?

2) I would hope that all of my words and actions are evangelistic in some way, even if I am not explicitly preaching the Gospel. So is it my hope that somehow my interactions on this forum will open people up to Christ? Of course. Do I think that I am going to do that with clever arguments or trying to "spring" intellectual traps on people? No. I just want to learn about other people and how they see the world, and hopefully, God uses the relationships as a means of evangelizing. If that makes me a bad Christian, may God make me a better one.