(January 3, 2015 at 3:47 pm)Spooky Wrote:

(January 3, 2015 at 3:32 pm)Drich Wrote: I am here to answer biblically based questions and to provide clarity about biblical Christianity. (To keep you people honest about what Christianity is.)

Then if one of you wants to go deeper, I am also willing to provide a more one on one study, md even help you find a good bible/Jesus Christ centered Church.

I was a confirmed member of a Lutheran Church who went from acolyte to Sunday school teacher. I find your statement that we aren't honest about Christianity mildly insulting.

My best guess to answer the op would be:
Suffering is supposedly rewarded in heaven. Dig up some suffering and martyrdom.

You think waaay to highly of your peers ability to cause 'suffering' on line.

Truthfully the best any of you can do is resort to name calling when your specific brand of logic runs out.

Which on a bad day may have me return fire in kind. However the vast majority of the time I will carry on with one of your daisy chain logic sessions till the name calling starts then I just let you have the conversation.

As far as you being insulted, What can I do to go from a mild insult to you being full on insulted?

Just keep being yourself, moron.

(January 3, 2015 at 3:55 pm)Drich Wrote:

(January 3, 2015 at 3:47 pm)Spooky Wrote: I was a confirmed member of a Lutheran Church who went from acolyte to Sunday school teacher. I find your statement that we aren't honest about Christianity mildly insulting.

My best guess to answer the op would be:
Suffering is supposedly rewarded in heaven. Dig up some suffering and martyrdom.

You think waaay to highly of your peers ability to cause 'suffering' on line.

Truthfully the best any of you can do is resort to name calling when your specific brand of logic runs out.

Which on a bad day may have me return fire in kind. However the vast majority of the time I will carry on with one of your daisy chain logic sessions till the name calling starts then I just let you have the conversation.

As far as you being insulted, What can I do to go from a mild insult to you being full on insulted?

Heh, not going to give you the keys to my psychological castle. Good try though.

(January 3, 2015 at 3:07 pm)Nope Wrote: Some might honestly believe that they will convert someone at some point to their faith. Others might just enjoy an argument and like debating people with completely opposite beliefs.

Probably atheist forums would be boring without Christian members for an opposing view.

Personally, I don't think these Christians are hoping to convert anybody, because they don't behave that way. I think they are just having fun (which is o.k. of course).

(January 3, 2015 at 4:16 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote:

(January 3, 2015 at 3:07 pm)Nope Wrote: Some might honestly believe that they will convert someone at some point to their faith. Others might just enjoy an argument and like debating people with completely opposite beliefs.

Probably atheist forums would be boring without Christian members for an opposing view.

Personally, I don't think these Christians are hoping to convert anybody, because they don't behave that way. I think they are just having fun (which is o.k. of course).

It completely depends on what one is looking to convert to. If in your mind you believe christianity can only look like what you left then know I am defiantly not looking to convert anyone to that type of christianity.

Off topic: I have my Member Awards ballot up on another tab; I've been filling it out as I read stuff. I'm stuck on the "Best Theist" award. Last year, it was easy to vote for Jacob (Smooth), but he's not a theist anymore. My favorites aren't really active right now, and the others are mostly just vile. I'm thinking I'll just leave it blank.

(January 3, 2015 at 4:21 pm)Drich Wrote:

(January 3, 2015 at 4:16 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: Probably atheist forums would be boring without Christian members for an opposing view.

Personally, I don't think these Christians are hoping to convert anybody, because they don't behave that way. I think they are just having fun (which is o.k. of course).

It completely depends on what one is looking to convert to. If in your mind you believe christianity can only look like what you left then know I am defiantly not looking to convert anyone to that type of christianity.

Has anybody been converted ever?

(January 3, 2015 at 4:25 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Off topic: I have my Member Awards ballot up on another tab; I've been filling it out as I read stuff. I'm stuck on the "Best Theist" award. Last year, it was easy to vote for Jacob (Smooth), but he's not a theist anymore. My favorites aren't really active right now, and the others are mostly just vile. I'm thinking I'll just leave it blank.

That's interesting that somebody changed from theist to atheist.

I nominate Pickup_shonuff for best theist. It's sad that atheists are better theists than the theists, but his performance in this thread was very dazzling IMO:

(December 30, 2014 at 1:21 pm)Pickup_shonuff Wrote: I'll argue FOR the existence of God.

1. There must be a first cause. Causation cannot regress infinitely; a succession of events, such as those immediately preceding the present one, could not be added to an actual infinite set. But even if this can be shown to be possible, yet as incomprehensible as a first cause, the evidence in cosmology suggests that time, space, and matter had a beginning, and hence the cause for the world cannot be physical, but must metaphysical or hyperphysical.
2. The cause must be free and not restrained, as a mechanism that is only acting on sufficient conditions would result in another infinite regress.
3. The cause is responsible for finely-tuned order, through a synthesis of plurality in unity that, through intricately determined principles, brought about reflective "selves" who can relate to themselves. As science seeks out simpler principles to explain complex phenomena, our first cause is the most simple of all, a singularity of infinite potential. It contains potentiality to create, through infinitely complex mechanisms, a set of realities, one with beings who possess a taste for the infinite and the finite, chance and necessity, good and evil, in other words, the first cause acts and through its power comes to know itself as a plurality of selves.
4. Nature is the effect of God, and reflects the sublime plurality in unity, chaos in order, evil in good, and all other relational paradoxes that science can only dimly grasp.

:-) Ok, that's all I got for now.

(January 3, 2015 at 4:25 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Off topic: I have my Member Awards ballot up on another tab; I've been filling it out as I read stuff. I'm stuck on the "Best Theist" award. Last year, it was easy to vote for Jacob (Smooth), but he's not a theist anymore. My favorites aren't really active right now, and the others are mostly just vile. I'm thinking I'll just leave it blank.

Beyond being eager for the end of the world, has the professor said anything vile? He did say that he would still accept his children if they lost the faith. (Or maybe I am remembering that conversation incorrectly)

(January 3, 2015 at 4:25 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Off topic: I have my Member Awards ballot up on another tab; I've been filling it out as I read stuff. I'm stuck on the "Best Theist" award. Last year, it was easy to vote for Jacob (Smooth), but he's not a theist anymore. My favorites aren't really active right now, and the others are mostly just vile. I'm thinking I'll just leave it blank.

I've voted for fr0d0, since he's mostly pretty reasonable. Easy to ovelook.