Hostage to fear

[Spacetime]

I don't have a problem w/ chatting with Christians about these issues.  Everyone is biased.  I don't think anyone who has read the entire thread can really posit that everyone here has been entirely "against" Christianity.  As a matter of fact, one (I am assuming) atheist proposed I simply change my concept of God to an impersonal one, which is more on par than rejecting a notion of God all together.  I'm mostly agnostic, but deism best describes my thoughts of a god if one existed.

Atheists carry infinitely more intellectual honesty than the fundamentalist Christian.  Even in the most liberal churches, you will find evangelical fundies waiting to dump on you the same old stuff.  That's why I'm here, talking to people who mostly share my same *actual* beliefs: that humans are primates, the Earth is billions of years old, that there is no personal god, etc.

I appreciate you reply.  I wouldn't have a problem exchanging ideas with you.

Great!

But you and I are not fundamentalists; we're Catholics, and Catholic theology is far more mature and nuanced than that of which you speak, agreed?

As you probably know, the Church has no problem with evolution, for example.

MUCH more mature.  Agreed.  

That is exactly why I ended my struggle to have faith within Catholicism.  However, the Church still holds a gun to my head called "hell".  I won't allow the Church to do the same to my wife and children.  Living your life with a gun to your head, is no way to live.

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Sorry mate.  I'm sure you're a spectacular person.  But unfortunately our conversation is limited to a topic I'm currently heated about.  Forgive any offense I've caused.

No offense taken.

You're looking for evidence that God exists? How can I present physical evidence when God is pure spirit? Even when God did take on flesh, not many believed...though the miracles were performed before their eyes.

However, the physical resurrection of Christ suggests that his claims about being divine were legit. Why would He lie? Let me ask that another way: You love Christ, and He loves you beyond all measure. Why would He intentionally lie to you about being God?

I've never served in the military...I was born "in between" the various conflicts which required service. Just a timing thing, I guess. But I can imagine that you may have served under officers whom you did not like...maybe even hated...but you obeyed because you had to, right?

Now, imagine that God makes His presence known in a dramatic way that is unmistakable. You know He's God, and you know He's watching. How long would it be before you resented God for interfering in your affairs?

You speak of God not doing anything for humanity while the scientists are doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to curing diseases, etc. Great! God has given us the ability to develop technology and medicine to improve our lives. Animals were not given that ability, so thank you, Lord. But let's say for the sake of argument that God did begin to heal this one person...or prevent a murder of another. If He does that for one or two, wouldn't He be obligated to heal us all? To prevent every murder? Every rape? Every divorce? Eventually, our lives would be so free from suffering that we would consider a hangnail to be a great injustice requiring God's intervention? But at what point would God have to eliminate free will in order to accomplish this utopian existence? And if we are not morally free, and we are forced to serve and obey God, why would we love Him since we had no other choice?

Just a few thoughts from someone whose views are decidely out of step with the crowd here.  

When I get home from work, I'll address this wholly.