(October 19, 2017 at 2:49 am)Ignorant Wrote:

(October 18, 2017 at 8:52 pm)Hammy Wrote: And that's what theism is all about. Belief in an imaginary friend helps theists cope with life.

Any chance you'd be open to a conceptual distinction? E.g. Philosophical theism as distinct from religious theism?

I hope to fuck not.

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(October 18, 2017 at 10:17 pm)Cyberman Wrote: Even if there is a level two to the game of life, what if the criterion for the grand prize is what you did to leave this world better than you found it? Or at least, not measurably worse?

You could get stabbed.

(October 18, 2017 at 6:03 pm)Hammy Wrote: It's the truth. Deal with it.

Imaginary friends to cope with life are not mature. And that's what belief in God effectively is. Deal with it. IT'S REALITY.

Okay I feel sorry for you if you were indoctrinated. I am lucky because I never was. But it doesn't change the fact that IF YOU WERE INDOCTRINATED INTO BELIEVING IN AN IMAGINARY FRIEND YOU WERE INDOCTRINATED INTO CHILDISHNESS.

I was indoctrinated, but I shed that way of thinking at a young age.

The way I see it, it's really about being honest with oneself about the nature of reality; either you lie to yourself about how everything is ordered, or you do not and see the blinds for what they are.

(October 19, 2017 at 3:00 am)ignoramus Wrote: "Unless you come to God through Christ."

Is there no back door? I don't trust this Christ bloke.
What's innit for him?

God doesn't like people coming in the back door.

So we hear ...

(October 18, 2017 at 9:30 pm)AtlasS33 Wrote:

(October 18, 2017 at 8:52 pm)Hammy Wrote: And that's what theism is all about. Belief in an imaginary friend helps theists cope with life.

Yes; mentioning God rest assures the heart ! This is very well known; you can consider prayer a form of meditation.
Life is harsh and time is short; almost like somebody made it this way so you pray for salvation.

And, of course, the feeling good is the point; not whether it's true or not.

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(October 19, 2017 at 1:28 am)Godscreated Wrote:

(October 18, 2017 at 7:52 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Good news! The universe was created to ensure your personal survival, believers! You really are that important to the God who created you! You don't even have to wonder why that is, just believe!

You're right we do not have to wonder, God has shown us why, we have the answer you could spend a life time looking for and never finding it unless you come to God through Christ.

GC

People with functioning brains enjoy wondering.  The rest of you prefer the self-righteousness of certainty.

(October 18, 2017 at 8:02 pm)AtlasS33 Wrote:

(October 18, 2017 at 7:52 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Good news! The universe was created to ensure your personal survival, believers! You really are that important to the God who created you! You don't even have to wonder why that is, just believe!

No; he created us but also created entire galaxies next to us, entire planets and stars, to show us how small and insignificant we are:

Quote:Sura 40, The Quran:
( 57 )   The creation of the heavens and earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of the people do not know.
( 58 )   And not equal are the blind and the seeing, nor are those who believe and do righteous deeds and the evildoer. Little do you remember.

But as we exist; bacteria exist too. Because that's what God does: he creates. From planets to stars, to different lifeforms, to meaning and music; to life and death, to humans and dogs.

He is a creator; not an oversized Sultan carrying a curved sword, or an old Zeus carrying thunder bow.

To be more precise, "he" doesn't exist, so "he" didn't have any reasons in "creating" you.

Believing in a god does not automatically make you immature.
If you're an atheist and you believe that not believing in a god suddenly makes you more mature, then that is immature.
We're not a special group, we are humans, we are the same.
Take a good look at the society you live in.
We are all indoctrinated in one way or another.
So many times we tell theists that being an atheist means nothing more than having a disbelief in god.
If we then turn around and start attributing labels to all theists, then aren't we then part of a belief system?
I know this thread is just a bit of fun.
Personally, I think that as an atheist, it is good practice to ask yourself if what you say would encourage a theist to come around to your way of thinking.
If it doesn't, then ask yourself why you wouldn't want that.
Some people will never come around, but also, neither will most of us.
Of course, it's understandable that we will sometimes respond heatedly in debates, as do theists.
That's all I gotta say.

(October 18, 2017 at 6:03 pm)Hammy Wrote: It's the truth. Deal with it.

Imaginary friends to cope with life are not mature. And that's what belief in God effectively is. Deal with it. IT'S REALITY.

Okay I feel sorry for you if you were indoctrinated. I am lucky because I never was. But it doesn't change the fact that IF YOU WERE INDOCTRINATED INTO BELIEVING IN AN IMAGINARY FRIEND YOU WERE INDOCTRINATED INTO CHILDISHNESS.

Are you lucky?  Seems like you suffer from a mix of crippling mental illnesses that make functioning a struggle.  It's a weird position to lecture people from on how they should think like you.

Do you think that any of them are caused by not believing in imaginary friends, or would be qualitatively helped by believing in imaginary friends?

(October 19, 2017 at 1:33 am)Wyrd of Gawd Wrote:

(October 19, 2017 at 1:28 am)Godscreated Wrote: You're right we do not have to wonder, God has shown us why, we have the answer you could spend a life time looking for and never finding it unless you come to God through Christ.

GC

Don't you know the "christ" is simply a title and that there are many "christs"?

 Did you know the Christ I always speak of is Jesus, the Christ of the living God.

GC