(January 22, 2015 at 4:00 pm)robvalue Wrote: Hmm. So their argument became, "At some point, someone in the family will die. So stop doing laundry."

You can't beat superstitious reasoning. You really can't.

They are both dead so I guess my spiteful laundry habits did eventually kill them. They believed some really weird superstitions so growing up with them and not being superstitious was an interesting experience.

I'm sorry to hear that. But I officially find you totally innocent on all counts

I bet! My parents weren't very superfictitious (as I like to call it) but my grandparents were, and they came off as going temporarily insane each time it happened. My wife has some superstitions too, minor ones, and even my logic chainsaw can't destroy them.

(January 22, 2015 at 2:38 pm)Chas Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 2:22 pm)Godschild Wrote: God told Hosea to allow wife to return to prostitution, read the book of Hosea to find out why, you wouldn't believe me if I told you, so I want try.

You are morally bankrupt.

Care to explain what you said?

GC

(January 22, 2015 at 11:09 pm)Godschild Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 2:38 pm)Chas Wrote: You are morally bankrupt.

Care to explain what you said?

GC

http://kfor.com/2014/11/18/oklahoma-man-...-religion/
http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments..._religion/

[not even being a troll]

(January 22, 2015 at 3:27 pm)Xeno Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 2:22 pm)Godschild Wrote: Joking about something like that is risky, I know you do not believe, but what if, I've seen things that would make people think twice. Not trying to issue a threat, it wouldn't be responsible of me not to mention this, IMPO.

So joking about cancer is risky, but another theist in this thread has established that cancer is god's way of making people believe in the afterlife.

I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention please. I was not saying God would giver her cancer for anything, I'm saying God might punish someone for using God vainly. "Test not the Lord God."

I use to attend a church where some of the original members wanted to control the church... let's say as their own private club, so to speak. They wanted to get rid of the pastor and anyone who supported him. They were treating many people terribly, this went on for a long time. Finally the pastor decided to leave to keep the peace. All the people that supported the pastor were the ones who did most of the spiritual work in the church, almost all of us came after this pastor had been hired. All of us left and started a new church, now there were several in the old church that were good people and caused no trouble and supported the pastor, these individuals were there before this pastor was hired.
Not long after we left those who caused all the problems began one by one to get sick some of them died, some never recovered from their illnesses. Others died in different ways, but none of the good people left got seriously sick or died until after most of this group was punished. I personally had some tell me they had done the wrong thing and had been very bad people, others came and apologized to us at our new church. They tested God and realized He wasn't going to put up with people tearing apart His work, most of those people are dead now or seriously ill and they lost their church building a little while back because new people were not joining and they had to few people to be able to pay the bills.
Now you can criticize what I've said but, it's true, it became true to the ones left, they admitted they had done a great wrong to God and the previous members.

GC

(January 22, 2015 at 11:47 pm)Godschild Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 3:27 pm)Xeno Wrote: So joking about cancer is risky, but another theist in this thread has established that cancer is god's way of making people believe in the afterlife.

I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention please. I was not saying God would giver her cancer for anything, I'm saying God might punish someone for using God vainly. "Test not the Lord God."

I use to attend a church where some of the original members wanted to control the church... let's say as their own private club, so to speak. They wanted to get rid of the pastor and anyone who supported him. They were treating many people terribly, this went on for a long time. Finally the pastor decided to leave to keep the peace. All the people that supported the pastor were the ones who did most of the spiritual work in the church, almost all of us came after this pastor had been hired. All of us left and started a new church, now there were several in the old church that were good people and caused no trouble and supported the pastor, these individuals were there before this pastor was hired.
Not long after we left those who caused all the problems began one by one to get sick some of them died, some never recovered from their illnesses. Others died in different ways, but none of the good people left got seriously sick or died until after most of this group was punished. I personally had some tell me they had done the wrong thing and had been very bad people, others came and apologized to us at our new church. They tested God and realized He wasn't going to put up with people tearing apart His work, most of those people are dead now or seriously ill and they lost their church building a little while back because new people were not joining and they had to few people to be able to pay the bills.
Now you can criticize what I've said but, it's true, it became true to the ones left, they admitted they had done a great wrong to God and the previous members.

GC

I am not criticizing you personally but I will try to look at the situation logically. It can be satisfying when someone screws us over or hurts people that we love to imagine that their misfortune is caused by some greater sense of justice. In order to believe that the people in your old church got sick because of god's punishment, you would also have to explain why people who aren't doing anything wrong get sick. God isn't punishing them. Death and sickness have no greater meaning beyond the fact that we humans would rather not have those things happen to us. That's it.

I would imagine that the reason that the old church could not attract members is because they kept all the more nasty people in their little group. Who would want to spend Sundays with people that aren't nice?

(January 22, 2015 at 11:09 pm)Godschild Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 2:38 pm)Chas Wrote: You are morally bankrupt.

Care to explain what you said?

GC

That you have to ask that question is appalling.

(January 23, 2015 at 12:24 am)Nope Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 11:47 pm)Godschild Wrote:

---

I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention please. I was not saying God would giver her cancer for anything, I'm saying God might punish someone for using God vainly. "Test not the Lord God."

I use to attend a church where some of the original members wanted to control the church... let's say as their own private club, so to speak. They wanted to get rid of the pastor and anyone who supported him. They were treating many people terribly, this went on for a long time. Finally the pastor decided to leave to keep the peace. All the people that supported the pastor were the ones who did most of the spiritual work in the church, almost all of us came after this pastor had been hired. All of us left and started a new church, now there were several in the old church that were good people and caused no trouble and supported the pastor, these individuals were there before this pastor was hired.
Not long after we left those who caused all the problems began one by one to get sick some of them died, some never recovered from their illnesses. Others died in different ways, but none of the good people left got seriously sick or died until after most of this group was punished. I personally had some tell me they had done the wrong thing and had been very bad people, others came and apologized to us at our new church. They tested God and realized He wasn't going to put up with people tearing apart His work, most of those people are dead now or seriously ill and they lost their church building a little while back because new people were not joining and they had to few people to be able to pay the bills.
Now you can criticize what I've said but, it's true, it became true to the ones left, they admitted they had done a great wrong to God and the previous members.

GC

---

I am not criticizing you personally but I will try to look at the situation logically. It can be satisfying when someone screws us over or hurts people that we love to imagine that their misfortune is caused by some greater sense of justice.

I loved those people and didn't find it anything but a terrible time in their lives.

Quote: In order to believe that the people in your old church got sick because of god's punishment, you would also have to explain why people who aren't doing anything wrong get sick.

People do get sick all the time and it's no more than that, they contract a disease. This time however was different these people began getting sick and/or dying before the good people left at the old church and, most of them died before any of the good people. Wife losing husbands, wife dies then husband dies, one losses someone he cares deeply for (not through death), then suffers a stroke, a husband dies and shortly after his wife. Another wife dies and soon after the husband has a heart attack and dies later. This was happening in succession and the people left finally realize what was going on and began to apologize and/or repent. We had some die at our church and these were very good people, while those at the old church were getting sick or dying. People from both churches knew what was going on, I hated it but there was nothing I could do, God was dealing out justice and I wasn't about to get in the way.

Quote: God isn't punishing them. Death and sickness have no greater meaning beyond the fact that we humans would rather not have those things happen to us. That's it.

I guess I didn't mention these people were not dying of old age, most were not old. God gave a commandment long ago that says, "children obey your parents and your days could be prolonged." These people were not at the age you would expect them to die off one after another like elderly people do.
I realize that people just get sick a lot of the time and God is there to help the sick and their loved ones through get through the ordeal. But this wasn't anything like that, if you had been there and understood all that happened you wouldn't have called it a coincidence. Out of all those who were trying God and His plan only one is alive at this time and he has been sick the whole time.

Quote:I would imagine that the reason that the old church could not attract members is because they kept all the more nasty people in their little group. Who would want to spend Sundays with people that aren't nice?

They were mostly dead or in the hospital, God decided to turn that building over to others and reach out to that community through them. We (the new church) moved into a different community. God sent a message to the churches in that community, because so many of the churches had problems that should not have happened and as far as I know things in that area have straightened up. Outside of losing family members and one of my youth when I taught, that experience is one of the saddest things I've experienced. Thanks for your honest reply.

GC

---

(January 23, 2015 at 12:28 am)Chas Wrote:

(January 22, 2015 at 11:09 pm)Godschild Wrote: Care to explain what you said?

GC

That you have to ask that question is appalling.

Really, if you say so. Maybe you should have read the book before posting that though.

GC

Did any theists own up to misreading the article yet? I have a lot of people on block.

You're blocking the entertainment, Rob!