Show me your proof

[Fruity]

Godschild Wrote:

Was interested in your thoughts since you believe that Christians are persons brainwashed from birth and not all become Christians as children.

I did not say all Christians are brainwashed since birth. I said most Christians I know. I also know a few who were not brainwashed into it, but went into it on their own. Read what I said again.

Godschild wrote:

I do have another question, do you believe in free will, most nonbelievers argue against it whether they believe it or not. I see you mentioned it indirectly in your above answer.

I must confess I used the term "own will" freely, failing to remember how some theists in these forums like to change the subject when they notice that they have nothing to say to defend their beliefs from something that was explained to them. It's fine, though. I'm fine going down this road if you like and prefer to not explain your god's intentions when not helping my family or myself, further explaining that god does indeed exist.

Let's see. Free will is a complex subject. First we have all the chemical processes that happen in our brain. This is where some atheists argue that there is no free will. The brain functions accordingly to the chemical activity and everything we do supposedly is the result of this. I work in the behavioral health field. I am a mentor for children with behavioral health needs. I have learned that yes, much of what we do is a result of the process of brain activity, but there is also another side to it. What we learn and what we want to learn. For example, a child who suffers from depression. We consider the hormone activity that affects the chemical balance. We also use therapy, family support, life skills practice, etc. Children learn how to detect symptoms, how to react to them, and how to move on. We might see a person who decides that she is tired of being depressed and so she begins to put in every effort to get better. She had a choice. To allow herself to rot, or to work on feeling better. Yes, the way the brain works can lead the direction of our lives when it comes to personality, character, and many of our decisions, but what we receive from the outside world, what wee learn can also have an affect if we want it to. It's like my new laptop. She (it's a girl) came with all kinds of prearranged attributes. I went ahead and installed some programs. If I were to not have it protected, it might catch a virus. Etc, etc. So... do I believe in free will? I believe we operate according to the messages that our brain sends us, which operates according to the messages that all that other mumbo jumbo send it. We can manipulate the process to a certain degree by using what we have learned and applying it. It's sort of like fixing my laptop. It might catch a virus, but I can get it fixed. No excuses. Unless it plain dry dies. Then there's no turning back.

However, I, unlike most Christians I know (note, I said most, godschild), am open to more information that might reveal that I am wrong.