Hell - Where is the idea of justice?

[Epimethean]

Where's the Kool-Aid Man?

[Voltair]

Man... glad to see my thread is still going >.>

[DeistPaladin]

What the shit? How boring. I want variety.

Nature's God has promised me three bisexual wives and two bisexual husbands if I'm martyred in my quest to promote free thinking. That's all I think I can handle.

[Faith No More]

Just when you thought he couldn't get any more bizarre, GC is hoping to be in charge of his own galaxy. Giving such a task to him would put god in dereliction of duty.

[Epimethean]

It would be like that old Star Trek episode, "The Squire of Gothos."

[reverendjeremiah]

Just when you thought he couldn't get any more bizarre, GC is hoping to be in charge of his own galaxy. Giving such a task to him would put god in dereliction of duty.

Yeah..lol...can you imagine this conversati0n?

Jesus - Hey GC.

GC - Yes my Lord, my loving god! I love you I love you I love you I lov....

Jesus - Umm... thanks. Anyways, I need you to watch over this galaxy for me. Sure, Im all powerful, all knowing, and can micro manage like a mutherfuker... I just suppose I will give you a galaxy to rule over for a time..dont become a tyrant that I will have to oppose later and create a religion in order to save people from you...you groovy dude...ha ha ha..

Yeah...atheists are delusional. GC, on the other hand, has a firm grasp of reality. Soon he may own his own Galaxy.

[Zen Badger]

That's fine but it's all a bit vague for me. If you want to live the life that god desires for you to live, then he is telling you what to want. Shouldn't that be your choice?

I have the choice to do what God wants or not, though the latter may come with consequences. I see that God knows what's best in my life and I need to pay attention to what He says.

I do not want anything other than to be happy. Lots of things make me happy - helping others, drinking beer, eating cakes, going out, achieving life goals, buying new stuff, bringing my family up to be decent people, watching sport etc I couldn't fit reading scripture, attending church, preaching to that because not only I wouldn't want to, but because I wouldn't have the time and would miss out on other fulfilling stuff.

You must miss out on some good stuff, because you're banking on getting it back with interest in heaven.

It's funny you would mention "with interest," because that is what Jesus teaches and I happen to be reading about that last night. Giving up stuff here will result in greater treasures in heaven.

I like you, want to be happy, and by serving God I find happiness. I tried living life my way and found to many troubles in my way, then I tried it God's way and have found many joys that would not have come my way if I had continued on my path. I to like many of the things you mentioned above, even to drink a beer on occasion, I love college football "GO Big Orange," I like to fish and hunt, I do really like woodworking, so you see God doesn't deny us things that makes us feel good and fulfilled. However I find joy in serving God in loving and helping family and friends, in worshiping Him and reading and studying His scriptures. There is so much more, if you have questions just post or PM.

---

I wonder what a typical day in heaven is like? A bit of worship, bit of backslapping and a lounge around. No sin, no bad stuff, no challenges. Don't get me wrong, sounds great apart from the worship bit, but for ever? Wouldn't you be sick after a trillion years?

I do not believe there will be a typical day in heaven, I do know we will worship and praise God often and I know we will have responsibilities. I think that one could be given the responsibility of caring for a galaxy, how awesome would that be. I can imagine having a vacation home on some secluded planet where I can bang away on a guitar and sing out of tune and enjoy a time of being by myself... well except God would be with me. So to get tired of heaven after a trillion years, I can't see that happening there will be an entire universe to explore and care for and who knows what other great things God will have for us.

And where in the bible does it say this is what will happen?

[IATIA]

I made choices with no new information...

And you make my point again.

[tackattack]

---

It's, like, a page back. But I guess I can explain this.

GC claims we do have control over our beliefs and can choose what we believe. I asked him to prove this by becoming an atheist for an hour. By believing that there is no such thing as God, then using the same control to change himself back to a Christian afterwards (unless he preferred being an atheist, of course). He refused this, saying he didn't want to. So I asked him to choose to believe that his favourite colour is pink, or to believe that he is two inches shorter than he is, or something else benign with no real ramifications (just to prove his point! He could change back an hour later!) He's refused all these as well.

He claims the control he has over his beliefs is evidenced by the fact that he has changed his political beliefs in the past, which I have pointed out he did not do spontaneously. He presumably did not wake up one day and think 'I believe I'll change my opinion on x subject', rather he would have become aware of new evidence that informed his opinion and resulted in a change in belief.

So, care to have a go? I feel like the operator of a carnival stall, asking Christians to step up and prove that they can control their beliefs by becoming atheist for an hour. And like a carnival stall, it's impossible to win, because what I'm asking cannot be done.

---

You can use introduce new items into subconscious by choice. That can affect your belief. I did a similar color trick with a friend of mine, it's actually quite easy.
The brain creates new neural connections in response to a thought. Repetition of the same thought (especially with visual involvement) physically strengthens the neural network representing that thought. That introduces "new evidence" that informs out opinion. There's been lots of research, I'm sure, on visual cognition and active visual perception and self-hypnosis. People can actively influence their opinions and belief, by choice. Most though don't do it actively though, other than introspection.

[ElDinero]

So it requires new evidence. Glad we've got that cleared up. I'm guessing you won't be turning yourself into an atheist for an hour, then?