The Insanity Machine (and the Notion of God)

[MultipleTentacles]

Minus the hate this is how old fashion bigots got all of their information about people they encountered outside of their comfort zones.

As long as we're taking my post as fact, did you not happen to notice the time I spent sincerely defending Islam, in a post-9/11 America at war in the Middle East, when I grew up in a Christian, Libertarian family in Northern Idaho? I've about had it up to here with ignorant dipsticks on the Internet claiming I'm racist, or not willing to look outside my comfort zone.

As for your claim.










You want historical? How about the faith-destroying Saint Augustine, the father of the Latin church?

"God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie, that they nil might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Some people might
think it unjust that the Omnipotent should first deceive them,
and then punish them for being deceived; but to St. Augustine
this seems quite in order. "Being condemned, they are seduced,
and, being seduced, condemned. But their seducement is by the
secret judgment of God, justly secret, and secretly just; even His
that hath judged continually, ever since the world began."

From Bertrand Russel's History of Western Philosophy. St. Augustine: The first Calvinist.

Look at that statement, directly quoted from the original St. Augustine: "Being condemned, they are seduced, and, being seduced, condemned. But their seducement is by the secret judgment of God, justly secret, and secretly just...."

Translation:

"Because God says so, and if you don't believe in God you're going to hell for all eternity and you have no hope for anything. It doesn't matter if you know it's the right God because God has preordained that you will go to heaven or hell whether you know or not. Therefore you'd better know, or else you'll suffer in infinite burning pain for all eternity roasting and frying away in writhing agony forever."

Recent history, you ask?

Well aside from the obvious perfect harmony with the Calvinists, who are still quite powerful, let's look at "recent" history.

The "young earth Creationists" believe that "When the Bible and science disagree, they consider science to be pseudoscience—no matter how many learned men espouse it. They believe that this maxim applies: 'They have rejected the word of the Lord. Are they so wise after all?'" (Explore Your Faith by Ed Strauss) In other words:

"You can't argue with God. Everything I say has the authority of God and everything you say is from the devil. So adopt what I say or go to hell."

And how about this, from the same book:

By not preaching the gospel, Christians are, in effect, hiding it from those who are perishing. ... Some Christians suggest that those who've never heard the Gospel in this life will be given an opportunity to hear it in the next. ... This answer seems reasonable but doesn't find strong support in scripture. Indeed, the Bible seems to exclude it, saying that "each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment."

Meaning that the Insanity Machine has the absolute right to say what is truth and what is fiction, whereas you have no such right, because obviously you haven't heard the true Word from a true Christian yet, and you will go to hell forever and ever for no reason.

From the same book:

He (Jesus) didn't answer that only very good people entered heaven. He said it was impossible for anyone to do so. ... However, Jesus added that with God all things are possible.

Meaning, of course:

Human: "Where do you get your authority?"

Insanity Machine: "From God."

Human: "How do I know it's the right God?"

Insanity Machine: "Because God says so, and if you don't believe in God you're going to hell for all eternity and you have no hope for anything. It doesn't matter if you know it's the right God because God has preordained that you will go to heaven or hell whether you know or not. Therefore you'd better know, or else you'll suffer in infinite burning pain for all eternity roasting and frying away in writhing agony forever."

Now don't try to tell me that this is just an isolated occurrence, or that "Not All Christians Think Like That." My original argument was that it can be generalized across Christianity. "You just got your sources from one book lol!" One book which I picked up in the Christian book section of a grocery store, with an intended audience, obviously, of everybody. Tell me, mr. marginalized and demonized Christian, exactly how many Christian sources do I have cite before my argument becomes valid? "seemingly little to no exposure to the people being discussed," you say. When I grew up in a Christian family, went to a Presbyterian church, studied in Sunday School, in a country where eight out of ten people are Christian (Pew research). If you would've said I have no basis for discussing Islam, you may have had more of a case. As it is, your views to me are so completely discredited that, at this juncture, I have absolutely no reason to listen to anything further you have to say.

"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."

Have a nice day.