Abusive Theology 101

[Neo-Scholastic]

True I thought he actually did it. But there is a difference between Man's relationship with God and Man's relation to other members of mankind. That is why the analogy fails. God acts as a Father. He instructs and judges according to His superior position. On the other hand we are called to treat each other as brothers and sisters, equal in the eyes of God.

[Esquilax]

True I thought he actually did it. But there is a difference between Man's relationship with God and Man's relation to other members of mankind. That is why the analogy fails. God acts as a Father. He instructs and judges according to His superior position. On the other hand we are called to treat each other as brothers and sisters, equal in the eyes of God.

So, essentially you leap right to the special pleading you were called on just one post ago?

Is this seriously your morality? A totally subjective standard where what's moral and immoral for us doesn't apply to god? I thought you guys were the "objective moral standard" bunch, but then again I'm not gonna assume that of you since I don't want to put words in your mouth.

[freedomfromforum]

True I thought he actually did it. But there is a difference between Man's relationship with God and Man's relation to other members of mankind. That is why the analogy fails. God acts as a Father. He instructs and judges according to His superior position. On the other hand we are called to treat each other as brothers and sisters, equal in the eyes of God.

Since I am responsible for creating this thread I will answer ChadWooters one last time. It seems that everyone but you understands what my parable represents. You clearly believe that your (god), who is supposedly the 'author' of morality, is above (pun intended) his (its) own laws concerning the same. Here is one last 'parable' (example). In this example I will once again model your (god).

"I am god! I demand that you do as I say, and not as I do. Thus sayeth me!"

Chad, you needn't respond. I realize that your 'loving father' claim of (god) is the only loophole theists can jump through to justify their own (un-confessed) doubts about the validity of his (its) existence.

I'd offer to pray that your eyes would be opened so you could see the truth, but that would be a senseless waste of time since no one is listening.

DOG bless you, and have a puppy day!

---

You used your resources to gain a poor man's gratitude. Since he had nothing of physical value to offer you in return, he tried to share with you the most precious thing he had, his faith. You may think his faith is bullshit. Fine. You could have listened politely. Which is what you would have done if you wanted to respect his dignity as a human being. Instead, you abused your position of power and demonstrated to him that he was just another opportunity for some rich atheist fuck like you to "make his point."

Now you want people on an internet forum to congratulate you for giving some helpless man an object lesson in theology. You are below contemptible.

This one is my favorite!

[Locke]

Just joined, this is the 1st post I've read all the way through and I gotta say this forum is pretty cool. I always prefer people who can be open about what they think; growing up in the Bible Belt has made me weary of people who are afraid to be honest.

Hate to disappoint you, but we do not look for your approval or do we need it. I was talking about right here in this country but, missionary work in foreign fields are also a good point as to the hard work of Christians.

I don't know what Bible you're reading, but mine doesn't read quite like that.

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." - 1st Corinthians 15:10

The hard work of Christians? If they are really relying on God, then He is doing the heavy lifting - it becomes an easy task. In psychology its sometimes referred to as 'flow time' if that helps you understand better. I'm not sure you really understand this concept by the way you're talking...

Furthermore.. dude.
Bro.
I've got to say, even if you think you're doing the right thing by hopping online and cursing out a bunch of atheists from behind a screen, you're pretty much wrong for that. The anger of man doesn't accomplish God's will, and "There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death." - Proverbs 14:12

This is some advice for you; in context, this is Jesus speaking to the church in Laodicea, a warning for them and for Christians to the present day:
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." - Revelation 3:15-19

This Scripture is addressing Christians, so don't go applying it to Atheists. Claiming to be a Christian means you're held to the standard of the Bible, so if you don't like that then don't say you're Christian.
Now, I don't know you, so I can't say what you like and how serious you are.. but according to Ezekiel 33 I have a responsibility as a disciple of Jesus to call you to the standard of the Bible if you're calling yourself a Christian... and bro I have to say, using a forum to blast people and let out your anger does not glorify God in any way, so let's all stop faking.

Being a Christian isn't something you should take so lightly. If you read the Scripture above, you can plainly see God would rather you didn't call yourself a Christian than to claim it and not live it.

@Chad: You're angry at FFF for (and yes, I know it's a parable, but Chad evidently didn't) dangling promises in front of a beggar for seemingly selfish reasons, and yet you're using this forum to satisfy your need to sustain conflict, completely contrary to the Christian lifestyle you're preaching.

Just some serious food for thought.

PS: Don't come back with an angry retort, it will only prove my point.

[Captain Colostomy]

I need popcorn.

[freedomfromforum]

I need popcorn.

Good Times!

[Neo-Scholastic]

Is it special pleading if you to punish your child for stealing whisky from the liquor cabinet? No. Because everyone recognizes that adults, by virtue of their knowledge, experience and level of responsibility have a different moral status than their children.

Instead of some hypothetical parable, let's talk about the here and now as it relates to you. Did any of you pay money to hear the Gospel? Does accepting the love of Jesus cost you anything at all? No. It doesn't and it never has.

The problem is this. You think that recognizing God as God is somehow the same as deifying yourself and demanding another human being to worship you as a god. If you cannot see the error in that then how can you make a distinction between adults and children?

[MindForgedManacle]

Is it special pleading if you to punish your child for stealing whisky from the liquor cabinet? No. Because everyone recognizes that adults, by virtue of their knowledge, experience and level of responsibility have a different moral status than their children.

That would seem far more damaging to God than the parable, since he chose to, in your theology, make us akin to children in comparison to him and set up a situation wherein our ignorance of good and evil was manipulated into ruining untold billions of human lives, not to mention that of other living beings.

Instead of some hypothetical parable, let's talk about the here and now as it relates to you. Did any of you pay money to hear the Gospel? Does accepting the love of Jesus cost you anything at all? No. It doesn't and it never has.

First off, bullocks. Not paying money to hear of something does not equate not paying a price at all.
If it turns out that what you believe of Jesus and God is a falsehood (as I do, with good reasons I think) and what you actually care about is the actual truth, then you've wasted (potentially) a large part of your life with things like prayer, questioning God on why he's done things as he did, "spreading the Word" and thereby causing others to waste a good portion of their limited lives (especially those who end up believing as this hypothetical 'you') and so on.

You stand to lose a helluva lot if you think about it. And that's not even counting all the harm to others that the religion puts forward as being commanded by God, with no actual explanation as to why it is wrong.

The problem is this. You think that recognizing God as God is somehow the same as deifying yourself and demanding another human being to worship you as a god. If you cannot see the error in that then how can you make a distinction between adults and children?

All that your objection does is, as far as I can tell, ad hoc that because of some aspect(s) of what God is, he is to therefore be worshipped and followed unquestioningly. Need I say 'is-ought gap' and ignorance induced by a tyrant?

[freedomfromforum]

Does accepting the love of Jesus cost you anything at all? No. It doesn't and it never has.

UMMMM? NOT accepting the 'free gift' of the gospel would, according to christian myth, cost me an eternity in hell, which seems like a hefty price to me. It goes something like this.....

'Accept my free gift or burn in hell forever!"

Two children are playing on the playground. The first child says to the other, 'eat this candy I want to give you for free'. The second child says, 'what if I don't want the candy', to which the first child replies, 'If you don't accept my free candy I'll shove you in a dark hole forever'. That's not a gift. That's a threat.

I am now ready for you to make a special pleading for your (god), since it's the only 'argument' theists have, and an unfounded one to boot.

You really need to stop... You're (god) is killing me..

[Bad Writer]

I thought PeterPriesthood was awesome, but Locke is a much cooler theist than my sockpuppet ever was.