(May 9, 2014 at 12:32 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: Answer the question. You can clarify your vision in your answer.

I live my life as a life; whether determinism is a reality or not doesn't actually matter. Even if it's true I'm still experiencing the world in first person from a perspective that allows me to experience things. I know you prefer to think of our world as some grey, washed out place without god, I know that makes you feel superior to us, but I gotta say, it feels no different from your world. The only difference is that I don't need to pretend that there's some externally derived meaning to it all to enjoy myself.

Quote:And don't forget to state your highest hope. That shouldn't be to hard for someone who thinks atheistic worldviews allow for meaning and purpose.

Wow, you stated that as though you expected that I'd falter and realize that I don't actually have hopes, but that's ridiculous. On a personal level, my highest hope is that I settle down, raise a family with Luckie, find a way to make a living writing novels, and leave the world a better place than I entered it.

I don't think that's an unworthy hope to have at all.

(May 9, 2014 at 11:46 pm)Bad Writer Wrote:

(May 9, 2014 at 11:38 pm)Godschild Wrote: I have no delusion, I know the God of creation is as real as you are.

Cool story, bro. So you should be able to introduce him to us, right? Remember, if you hear voices in your head, you're a schizophrenic, but if those voices happen to be "god", then you're a Christian.

You want to be introduced to Him, I'll be glad to do so.

GC

---

(May 9, 2014 at 11:38 pm)Kitanetos Wrote:

(May 9, 2014 at 11:35 pm)Godschild Wrote: What have you got against God taking the innocent to heaven, isn't that just and right.

GC

What have you against your god actually allowing those innocents to live their lives?

I'm not the one who determines God's plan, I'm glad that He is just throughout His plan. No one is promised another day, I think it's great that God takes these little ones to live eternally with Him. Would you rather they be in hell?

---

(May 9, 2014 at 11:38 pm)Godschild Wrote: I have no delusion, I know the God of creation is as real as you are.

GC

Kita Wrote:False, you know nothing of the sort. You merely have deluded yourself into thinking your god is real because you prefer the comfortable lie of religion over the harsh truth of reality that no god exists.

If your god could be proven to exist, we would not be having this conversation, because it is apparent that simply believing for the sake of believing is not proof of anything except deluding one's self that it exists.

You do not have any idea what I know, just because you ignore God doesn't mean He's not real, it's not my fault you choose to reject Him. Please explain why reality would be harsh without God, I'm curious as to why you would choose a harsh life over a life full of God's love. You have made not believing for the sake of not believing your proof that God doesn't exist.

GC

You're right. It's not your fault we choose to reject him. However, it's also not our fault; it's your god's fault. Still, if you're really intent on introducing your god to us, then please deliver on your promise.

(May 9, 2014 at 11:30 pm)Godschild Wrote: God created me to help those who suffer and are in need, you have no idea what kind of work I do for God, so quit lying before your peers. I have threatened no one here truth is not a threat, but you can't see that because reality escapes you completely.

Suddenly, I don't think it's the other person who has lost his grip on reality.

(April 17, 2014 at 12:43 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: How can purely physical things and processes have any meaning at all? Ontological naturalism excludes both final and formal causes. Those exclusions make any form of intentionality impossible.

Secondly a life has meaning in the same way symbolic representations do. Words and pictures point to things other than themselves. Thus a person's life has meaning to the extent that it serves as a sign and symbol of something they value. The difference between atheists and believers is that atheists can only refer to proximate values whereas believers identify with transcendent or eternal values.

How does naturalism exclude formal cause? And we make our own purpose, so we are our own source for a final cause.

Besides, Aristotle is not the source of all truth.

---

(April 17, 2014 at 9:32 pm)professor Wrote: The purpose and meaning of a Christian's life is to be joined to, and part of the eternal God.

The closest we can come in this realm is marriage or family.

"That they may be one, even as you Father are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us; that the world may believe that you did send Me" John 17:21

We are not described as servants or slaves but sons and daughters.
We are described as co-heirs with Christ who is God.

"He that overcomes will sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" Rev 3:21
This is the victory that overcomes the world (system)- our faith.

All that is in the world is- the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and the lies of the System- these are what we are to overcome.

Have at it, but that is all made up. If you want to live that way, fine; but I don't follow others' fantasies.

---

(May 9, 2014 at 11:38 pm)Godschild Wrote:

(May 9, 2014 at 11:23 pm)Kitanetos Wrote: The extent of your delusion truly is astounding.

I have no delusion, I know the God of creation is as real as you are.

GC

That's why it's called delusion and not fact, or knowledge, or thought, or idea, or concept, or even daydream.

You believe that for which there is no evidence.

(May 9, 2014 at 11:35 pm)Godschild Wrote: Christians cherish this life, it's given us to do God's work and when small children lose their earthly life because of God's plan He rewards them with a life you can't imagine. What have you got against God taking the innocent to heaven, isn't that just and right.

When Bad Writer mentioned the millions of young children who die every year, you stated that they were in heaven with god now. Therefore, to die at a very early age is to be guaranteed heaven, whereas to live a long life is to risk falling out of favor with god and being sent to hell. If heaven is the greatest possible reward, then hell is the greatest possible punishment. Dying as a baby guarantees that you get the greatest possible reward without risking the greatest possible punishment.

Thus, a baby who is taken as part of god's plan is much more highly favored than the person who is allowed to live a long life; he gets the greatest possible reward with no effort on his part, the person who lives a long life must make every effort to earn that reward. So tell me, why would you "cherish" this life, when it's just full of suffering and effort to get something that a baby was given with no effort on his part? Looks like you got the raw deal.

(May 9, 2014 at 11:11 pm)Godschild Wrote:

(May 8, 2014 at 10:41 pm)Kitanetos Wrote: The kind who understand that what the other person believes is not based on reality. Would you not rather escape the lies that tether you to a comforting fantasy?

I have no fantasy, it is those who believe God doesn't exist so they can live as they please who are living a fantasy.

GC

Because not believing gives us immunity to the consequences.

youtube.com/watch?v=4CqLtbw0rlM

(April 16, 2014 at 7:30 pm)Brakeman Wrote: Most theists that I've known and I think most of the theists on this board believe that God gives their lives meaning.
I usually just laugh inside, knowing that it is simply self delusion, but I just saw this cute cartoon and it struck me that if we are simply god's pets and our purpose is simply to praise him for all eternity, then it's not reassuring to have such a purpose, it's degrading. Check out this cartoon and see if you agree.

It must be a vain God that requires to be praised/worshipped all the time! My parents gave me life but I don't worship them or praise them with every other breath. Instead of spending time praising God, the theist spent more time helping other human beings, the world would be a a little bit better.

(May 10, 2014 at 10:56 am)Deepthought Wrote: Instead of spending time praising God, the theist spent more time helping other human beings, the world would be a a little bit better.

I think the world would be a better place if we all spent more time helping others instead of just talking about it.

(May 9, 2014 at 11:22 pm)Godschild Wrote: That's only an opinion, why, because sometimes working for God brings on suffering and hardship for the physical body, so your fuzzy just went up in smoke.

It doesn't matter if it brings suffering or hardship. You're still being an obedient god slave, and doing so gives you the neurochemical reward your brain desires.