A Simple Question...or 3!

[Angrboda]

Yes, I fear I'm only pissing into the wind. Sure it gets my point out and unburdens me of a pressing concern, but all it does is come right back.

Let me be your wind breaker! (I do love water sports!)


I like Victor Stenger's comment that God, if he had wanted, could have designed us so that we could live comfortably in a hard vacuum (and like it!). God has no need of fine tuning. Apologists on the other hand....

[ronedee]

• Do you want to believe in God?

I do believe in God.

• ...or is [proof] the main thing holding you back?
  
• Do you believe that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe?

I believe in Physics, so yes. Either God specifically planted life on Earth 3 billion years ago, or life self-starts, and if life self-starts then there certainly should be life throughout the universe. Either case doesn't affect my salvation one way or the other.

Now I've answered your questions here are two questions I have for you.

1. Why do you accept the Latin Vulgate as "sola scriptura", and why should I accept it as more authoritative than the same Greek NT text that you have or the MT Hebrew?

2. Given that we both agree God's Word is perfect - why should I believe that the RCC has the sole right to interoperate the Bible, and that anyone else must be in error?

I'm not getting the point of these questions relating to mine....but....

1. Latin V.... ancient history as far as Catholic's are concerned.

2. I, nor the RCC ever considered the Word of God to be (sola scriptura) owned by us!

You should brush-up on your RCC facts, as not to confuse our anti friends!

[festive1]

2. I, nor the RCC ever considered the Word of God to be (sola scriptura) owned by us!

I present you with the: Middle Ages... It wasn't until Martin Luther, in the early 16th century, the reformation, before outsiders (non-priests) were even able to read the bible. +1 for historical fact.

[ronedee]

So...Yes! The point of my question(s) was to reveal that most of you will believe, think, ponder (whatever term have you) there is intelligent life somewhere in the universe. But you will refuse to ________ there is ONE God who created it!

That seems odd...but, I'm not surprised. Most of YOU want to think there is someone out there "like us", but not a supreme being that created everything, including us!

And the biggest piece of evidence/proof there is a God, stares all of us in the face daily! [Time] tells you there was a beginning....and there will be an end! Translation: This stuff didn't just appear on day one!

We had an old pastor at my church that had a saying that always bothered me, and intrigued me at the same time! "God won't put us in Hell....we will march there ourselves, willingly." I'm realizing that message hanging around here!

And...what do we have to offer each other is the reocurring question in my mind? IMO...just confirmation of our own convictions! But in separate directions... You slide deeper into your hatred and darkness, as I move more to love and the light. Alas...my old pastor was right.

I have one more question for all you highly intellectual folk....

Do you think that given our scientific advancements, through "time" (possibly 100's of thousands of years) we will become like gods?

....Or, are we doomed as a race of people to become extinct, and for what reason?

For the few pea brains asking me dumbshit: Some questions are rhetorical to provoke a response for drawing opinion and conclusions.

[Angrboda]

[Cyberman]

I have one more question for all you highly intellectual folk....

Do you think that given our scientific advancements, through "time" (possibly 100's of thousands of years) we will become like gods?

....Or, are we doomed as a race of people to become extinct, and for what reason?

Are those the only options?

[ronedee]

I like Victor Stenger's comment that God, if he had wanted, could have designed us so that we could live comfortably in a hard vacuum (and like it!). God has no need of fine tuning. Apologists on the other hand....

I can see how you people have no concept of God's love.

It's not about putting us in a bowl and treating us like a goldfish!

It's about Him giving us His divinity! To become like Him!!

It goes to the Faithful, Caring, Loving, salt of the earth Servants of God.

THOSE GOOD PEOPLE WILL BECOME ONE WITH GOD!!

"As He shared in our humanity, so we will share in His divinity! Amen."

[Whateverist]

I can see how you people have no concept of God's love.

Why do you come here only to taunt us? You ask and receive many answers but have not answered mine. It isn't only God's love which I lack any concept of .. for the life of me I cannot make sense of this 'God' you speak of. Please tell me at a minimum what qualities a being must have to deserve to be called a god so that I can consider what to believe about them.

DO YOU WANT TO BELIEVE IN GOD?

...or is [proof] the main thing holding you back?

Do you believe that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe?

Can anyone here (besides us zealots) answer a question, or challenge to their reasoning seriously? oops thats 4!

1) No, but I will if I find sufficient reason to.

2) No, proof is hard to come by.

3) Don't know but would be curious to learn more about it if so.

4) Depends. Do you mean answer a question without any facts or a proper understanding of the question? Perhaps I could pretend to but no I couldn't seriously answer an incoherent question.


What is really holding me back is my inability to understand what a 'god' might be. What are the minimum requirements?

Eternal?

Creator of everything?

Moral decider?

Are we specifically defining a god as the god of the bible? (I find it very implausible for that god to exist given what little I've heard. Too many apparent contradictions.)

Please tell me exactly what qualities a god must possess so that I can consider if I do or can believe in or reject them for that matter. So far, I just don't really know what we're talking about.

[Angrboda]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp9yj5hcWUY

[downbeatplumb]

I, nor the RCC ever considered the Word of God to be (sola scriptura) owned by us!

You should brush-up on your RCC facts, as not to confuse our anti friends!

You don't know much about catholicism do you!

The history of the church you adhere to is one of persecution, intolerance and repression in order to own not only scripture but truth itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism#T...ersecution

From May 1243 to March 1244, the Cathar fortress of Montségur was besieged by the troops of the seneschal of Carcassonne and the archbishop of Narbonne. On 16 March 1244, a large and symbolically important massacre took place, where over 200 Cathar Perfects were burnt in an enormous fire at the prat dels cremats near the foot of the castle. Moreover, the Church decreed lesser chastisements against laymen suspected of sympathy with Cathars, at the 1235 Council of Narbonne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei

Galileo was found "vehemently suspect of heresy", namely of having held the opinions that the Sun lies motionless at the centre of the universe, that the Earth is not at its centre and moves, and that one may hold and defend an opinion as probable after it has been declared contrary to Holy Scripture. He was required to "abjure, curse and detest" those opinions.[59]
He was sentenced to formal imprisonment at the pleasure of the Inquisition.[60] On the following day this was commuted to house arrest, which he remained under for the rest of his life.
His offending Dialogue was banned; and in an action not announced at the trial, publication of any of his works was forbidden, including any he might write in the future.[61]

These are just two examples I could go on and on going back to when the church was in its infancy and oppressed the competing styles of christianities that never made the final cut.

The gnostics, the marcionites, the carpocrations, the ebionites etc
No reading of scripture was allowed except that of the catholics. All opposing views they went out of there way to destroy. It is only fairly recently that discoveries have been made that reveal the turbulance of the early christian church that neccessitated the council of nicea.