RE: Without citing the bible, what marks the bible as the one book with God's message?
January 6, 2013 at 1:47 am
(January 5, 2013 at 5:43 am)whateverist Wrote: Well, you surprise me with your willingness to allow that a Christian need not be in touch with the bible. I wonder if you would go even further to allow that a good novel, poem or holy book from another religious system which inspires a person to have more fellow feeling and to act on it in the way which would have pleased Jesus in the parable you shared would also be a Christian and 'saved' in the Christian sense. So many of the Christians who come here to save us seem to feel it is necessary to embrace the bible and to endeavor to follow it in every detail.
Well, I certainly won't argue with Christians who believe that the Holy Bible is the path to salvation! But, I will point to scripture that includes everyone in that salvation regardless of their reading ability.
Luke 9:49-50
John said, "Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he wasn't a follower like us." Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
As I said when I first got here, I'm not here to save anyone! Just strengthen and challenge my own faith. And to listen to, and present strong arguments for or against religion.
I like to rattle cages....but I also like to get my cage rattled too! In a spiritual sense that is!
If we don't challenge ourselves, we won't learn or be solid in our convictions.....whatever they are. Unfortunately, most here just throw slime around because either; they don't "want" to believe....or they are worried there just might be a God! I don't think I'm better, or worse than ANYONE ELSE! Regardless of my convictions or theirs! I don't hate my father for being an atheist! And he doesn't hate me for being a Catholic! And we both listen to each others pov....most of the time! LOL
I don't think that anyone wakes up one morning and says: "hello God, today I believe in you!" It's even a daily struggle for the faithful to keep-on believing!
But it starts with "wanting" to know more than what our physical world has presented to us, in our relatively short live span.
Some...like my own dad have never dealt with it. He thinks that's "it" when you hit the dirt! Just as many here do.
But ....it don't add-up to me. Through my faith in God and in Jesus, my life has been pretty good! I'm not rich. But I'm healthy, happy and have relatively little worry or fear. And a lot of love around me. Which I attribute 100% to my faith in God.
My dad on the other hand? Lives in fear and anxiety. He has had a lot of bad breaks in things that matter most in life. He has money, lives in a $3 million dollar house, literally on his own island....but isn't very happy! I attribute that to his lack of faith! He says he knows better! But watching him struggle with the important things like: health, family, love and peace in his life......... I'll forego the cash and take the others!
(January 5, 2013 at 5:43 am)whateverist Wrote: Have you ever considered that judgement, reward and punishment are all instantaneous and fluid. Goodness is its own reward and treachery is a kind of psychological suicide. Perhaps the story of a personal god who sits in judgement and takes you after death to an eternal reward, is a kind of metaphor? When you say "I believe that God is the reason...or "means" to life explained (THE WORD OF GOD) in the bible!" I find that compatible with what I'm suggesting so long as you are willing to read it for meaning rather than literally.
What you said? Yes! I'm a realist. But also, if you can take it that far in terms of a philosophy.... Why can't there be a literal God?!
There is a way to explain "why" it went down the way it did. And it can make sense in an intelligent way! I told another member here I would explain it at some point. But I need to assimilate a little more, before I agitate even more! LOL
Christians as a group, and most others can't quite get their heads around my theory of "the story" of everything. And that's fine.... But I have something interesting that makes sense to a "thinking" few, and a lot to me.
(January 5, 2013 at 5:43 am)whateverist Wrote:Quote:My dad on the other hand is an atheist, and thinks that "possibly" extraterrestrials dropped us here! He's always in a state of flux on the subject of creation!
Extraterrestrials really just kicks the can down the road, doesn't it? I couldn't very well be extraterrestrials 'all the way down'. At some point there is either abiogenesis or some intermediary being (who presumably under went his/her own abiogenesis). So, for my money, intermediary beings, like extraterrestrials just kicks the can down the road. Besides, if you really want to believe in a literal god, why cannot this being have brought about life through abiogenesis and evolution? (All powerful, right?)
I just get all starry-eyed when my dad gets on this subject! For one, he looks old and foolish! It's so unbecoming to watch an intelligent man sound like some little kid with a star-trek education talk about spacemen!
Funny thing is... he looks at me the same way when I talk about God! But, I'm better informed! LOL
(January 5, 2013 at 5:43 am)whateverist Wrote: If I may ask, are you a nun as your avatar suggests?
LMAO! No.... if you met me, you'd be totally shocked to even believe I was a Christian!
Mother Theresa is one of my heroes! Ron
Quis ut Deus?
